MLP: The Chimera (Book 2 of 3 of Prince of the Changelings)
by Scotticus012276
Summary: Silent Wing, Luna, and members of the Mane Six begin a race against time to save Twilight Sparkle, Star Journey, and Atalanta from the clutches of the evil Dragonking. Meanwhile, Celestia and Chrysalis must unite their magic and cunning in the face of a superior enemy with the aid of an insane dragon. They know they cannot win, but they know they cannot give up. Updates frequently
1. Chapter 1

**MLP: The Chimera **

**Book Two of the Prince of the Changelings Trilogy**

**Chapter 1**

**The Topaz Queens**

Twilight Sparkle held her son close to her as she felt Flamespyre all around her, darkness everywhere. Her coat shivered from the evil she felt, seeping through her skin, her flesh, and her soul. There was no way to tell if she was up or down, which direction she faced or if she was moving or still. The only sensation she seemed to be allowed was the ability to feel and hold her colt. Star Journey clung to her, terrified. Unable to hear, she could still feel his chest as he breathed and the occasional shifting of his hooves. He was alive and that was all that mattered to the lavender Alicorn at that moment.

She wondered what happened to Silent Wing. She would forever remember those haunting screams from the colt, his back arched almost to the point of breaking, the contortions. Those golden eyes burned through the pain and she saw a refusal to give up in them. Silent Wing had clung on his will to live. His thoughts must have been focused on something else, something worth holding on to.

For as long as she could remember, Twilight Sparkle had organized everything in her mind and in her life to the point of even being obsessive. Even if she had just organized the library, she would on the same day the next week take everything down and reorganize it, usually with little change to how everything was arranged to begin with. She could have the most disorganized room when researching, even forgetting where certain books were (she still had this issue), but she could analyze what she could remember with remarkable accuracy.

Right now, she was analyzing her enemy, trying to understand him. Flamespyre was sadistic, cruel, prideful, and obsessed with power. He loved displaying his strength and taunted his opponents. Another obsession he seemed to have was with Alicorns, though the reasoning behind this was unclear. Grimly she understood he had one now, picturing herself undergoing experiments and tortures. The thought of it filled her with terror.

She found comfort in clutching her only child.

Then there was the sensation of solid ground beneath her. A stone floor. The darkness faded. Twilight gave her violet eyes a moment to adjust to her poorly lit surroundings. Lifting her head, she flared the tip of her horn for light. Star Journey opened his own his, huddling close to his mother as she stood on all four hooves. Without moving, she took in her surroundings.

It was a vast, circular room with a domed ceiling overhead. In the center were what appeared to be a pair of cushioned slabs of stone with trays of fruit, bread, and vegetables carefully set upon it. There were pitchers of some sort of beverage and bowls set out as well. It was a feast especially set for ponies.

The marbled floors were polished black, ancient. The mare thought it to be from a forgotten age, judging from the carvings on the white marble walls and columns.. She did not recognize the reliefs carved into the walls. Strange bipedal creatures, hairless and clothed in robes were decpitcing different things. She noted four entrances, possibly from the four points of the compass coming into the room. They were unguarded for the moment. The passageways themselves were tall, at least twenty five feet from her best guess and ten to twelve feet wide. The domed ceiling bore four different murals, each on divided by a protruding carving of what appeared to be tree branches stemming from the columns. The four murals were of the four seasons; spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The subjects of the murals appeared to be...

...Twilight Sparkle had to rub her eyes and brighten the intensity of her light. She almost flew up to get a closer look, but Star Journey was probably not going to let her go too far from him. She could not blame him.

"Are you all right?" she asked him gently, kissing his forehead and brushing strands of his hair from his eyes.

The pudgy little colt stared about with wide and fearful eyes, his curiosity slowly beginning to reveal itself. "I'm sorry, mommy," he said suddenly, his wonder disappearing as his mind recalled everything that had just happened. He began to cry, feeling as though everything was his fault. All the bad things had happened because of him. All his fault! Everything!

"Shh! It's okay. Don't cry. I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you." She lifted her son's chin and smiled at him, giving him another peck on the end of his nose. "Can you smile for me? Can you be brave?"

Mutely Star Journey nodded.

"Ah, mother -" purred a soft feminine voice.

"- and child. -" followed another with a slightly higher pitch, perfectly adding to the sentence of the first speaker.

"How touching." It almost was the voice of Chrysalis, but with a higher pitch.

Twilight Sparkle spun on her heels, keeping Star Journey close. "Who's there?" she demanded, flaring her wings and draping one protectively over her colt. "Show yourself!"

"Welcome to the Topaz Kingdom, Twilight Sparkle and son," said the strange, disjointed voice. It was familiar, yet also was clearly unique. Hoofsteps echoed off the stone floor. A pair of orange harlequin eyes flared, softly glowing in the darkness as a large, no _two_ speakers appeared.

"You will be -"

"- our guest -"

"- for the forseeable future." Again they had split, then became one. At first the lavender mare thought it was a rather large changeling mare, until the eyes split too far apart from each other and two more eyes flared open, similar to Queen Chrysalis, but less vibrant, even duller.

They were both queens, though smaller in stature to Chrysalis and lithe, moving as a pair of snakes. Both wore their manes in identical small braids beaded with silver strands and assorted gems interwoven with their pale cream hair. Upon each head they wore identical crowns, far more elaborate than the tiny thing Silent Wing's adopted mother wore. They appeared to have been made from ivory, carved into a line of changelings encircling both sides to a single queen holding aloft a topaz carved in the shape of a heart. Indeed, their coloration on the exoskeletons were similar to the hue of the precious jewels surmounting their crowns. Both changeling queens appeared as though each one was the mirror reflection of the other.

"My name is Queen Tappis," purred the queen to the left.

The monarch on the right silkily included, "and I am Queen Tappaz."

"You must be exhausted -"

"- so our master commanded -"

"- we extend to you -"

"- our hospitality." They finished together. It was so hard to tell which one started and where the other picked up. "We expect one more to join you." The two came around either side of the center seats and paused, smiling and sweeping each a hoof towards the offered food and refreshments.

Twilight considered her options and wondered if she could take on two changeling queens at the same time. Certainly they would not approach her with this confidence it they at least did not know about her. Were they being watched? Was Flamespyre lurking around somewhere? She shivered, inadvertently looking about her surroundings and seeking out threats, real or perhaps imagined. She was not sure.

Another figure blinked into the room. It was a Unicorn mare with golden eyes and a beautiful burning red mane in a single lovely loose braid. She observed her surroundings, tossing her head as she saw the two queens, Tappis and Tappaz. They curtsied before her and smiled, practically fawning over her.

"Lady Draccaria!" Tappis, Twilight Sparkle noticed always spoke first.

"You have arrived -"

"- early. I trust -"

"- everything went well." They always finished together as well.

"Majesties," Draccaria smiled at them with a genuine fondness. "I have brought something for the two of you."

"A present -"

"- for us?"

"You shouldn't have!" Like a pair of fillies, they eagerly trotted over to the mare. Draccaria pulled something dark from her back and held in front of her a small form the lavender mare recognized.

It was Crown Princess Atalanta.

"She's -"

"- beautiful!"

"Who is she?"

"Atalanta!" Twilight cried out.

"Indeed," Draccaria chuckled as the princess woke up. "Ah, she is awake."

"The daughter -"

"- of Queen Chrysalis -"

"- makes the game dangerous, -"

"- Lady Draccaria." Both queens mirrored apprehension. "She is the most powerful of all the changeling queens."

The princess yawned and saw a changeling form near her hovering in the shadows. She did not see the mare holding her. She thought it odd when two topaz eyes came together, glowing "Momma?" she yawned again. "You look funny."

All three mares surrounding the little princess squealed in delight. "I'm sorry, Princess Atalanta," Draccaria said, leaning forward and gently into a now startled changeling filly's ear. "Something bad happened to your mother, the Queen. You had to be brought here for your own protection." Gently she set the princess down, stroking her mane.

"Where's Momma?" she squeaked, completely confused and realizing she was not in a place she recognized. "Where am I?"

"Adorable -"

"- little changeling -"

"- should listen -"

"- to Lady Draccaria."

"Atalanta!" Twilight called out to her again.

The little princess finally saw a friendly face, though she still did not know the lavender Alicorn that well, her mother did introduce her to the princess. She thought something was wrong not seeing Princess Twilight smiling when she saw her, but looking very scared. Was that Star Journey with her? He looked really unhappy and was hiding behind his mother. Why was he looking at her with huge eyes? Had she grown a third eye?

He screamed when she started to approach. "Keep her away from me!" he bawled. "She turns into a monster!"

Draccaria laughed uproariously. Oh, this was rich! Her changeling queen companions shifted their attention from her, to the chubby prince, and then back to Draccaria. On an unspoken cue, all three of them shimmered and transformed, shrinking with fanged smiles as they all became Atalantas. The real one spun and watched, scrambling away as they approached, all wearing wicked little smiles. She began to cry, going for the only dubious protection she could think of. Her wings worked furiously and she darted straight up into the air. The three took off after her, laughing mirthless, cruel little smiles playing across their little fangs, wings droning up into the gloomy dome.

"Leave her alone!" Twilight cried out, flaring her wings. The trouble was, it was impossible to see which one was the Crown Princess and which were the imposters. No, she checked herself, grinding her jaw and setting herself. She was the one crying for her mother and sounding genuine. The other three weren't interested in being her, just mocking the poor princess. "Overgrown bullies, all of them," she spat, her horn glowing.

"I taste fear in the air," announced a voice to her left. Twilight spun to face it.

There was Flamespyre, though in a much smaller form. He assumed the guise of an Alicorn stallion, though his body was still scarred and his right eye socket remained empty. He was black from the tip of his horn to the base of his hooves. He was till larger than Celestia. The back of Twilight's mind imagined he could never accept anything inferior for himself, save for some reason his eye. Then there were the scars. Badges of honor, perhaps? The dragon had seen a lot of fighting.

"Ladies," he called up to the ceiling and over the voice of a panicking changeling filly. "Stop torturing the child. That is unbecoming." Not bothering to use his horn, he sought out and plucked Atalanta from the air and brought her over to Twilight, his face an unreadable mask. His lone eye flickered at the crying filly, who had not and could not quiet down.

Draccaria landed and assumed her Unicorn mare form. Tappis and Tappaz followed suit and assumed their normal changeling forms. The two queens curtsied to the Dragonking and smiled subservient smiles.

Twilight found herself trying to comfort not only her colt, but the filly of a changeling queen she despised. Ata sobbed into her chest as Twilight was forced to sit down to accommodate both children.

"They are very young, recently ascended to the throne they share," Flamespyre offered in a way of an apology, though the whole ordeal appeared to have been amusing. "They are...energetic and eager to have fun, or so my daughter tells me." The monozygotic twin queens giggled, hiding their smiles behind their pitted hooves. Draccaria flushed slightly.

"Deposing the old queen was rather enjoyable," she said with a smile. "The Emeralds, however," she clucked her tongue against her teeth, her eyes flashing. "I've never encountered a group of stupider nobles than the flunkies of Queen Chrysalis. Of all the hives, that had to be the one where individualism evolved the most. Pity it did not accomplish the goal to which it was intended."

Despite having burning ears from the first half of the conversation, Twilight Sparkle could not help but suffer her curiosity. "Evolved?" she asked. Her hooves had managed to calm both Star and Ata. Colt and filly now simply stared wide-eyed and fearful at the adults. "I didn't even know there were other changeling kingdoms."

"It was once a single empire," Draccaria said after getting a permissive nod from her father. She turned and began to move towards the center of the room, eyeing one of the trays of fruit with interest. "Bring the little ones and let them lay down. I'm sure they are exhausted. It's not every day a queen gets assassinated."

Twilight sucked in a sharp intake of air, her hoof covering her lips. Her ears laid back as she immediately found Ata looking at Draccara with wide and disbelieving eyes.

"Daughter," warned Flamespyre.

She picked through the bowl and found an orange. "Oh, my apologies. _Attempted_ assassination. Myzanum didn't bother to check and make sure the job was done right. I will say he did try. Left a rather large hole in her chest. Spear thrust. He was very thorough as he related to me exactly what happened." Draccaria peeled her treat, letting the rinds fall to the floor in one piece. She then began to pull the wedges off and popping them in her mouth. All this was done as she spoke. "So, there's no confirmation in regards to her demise at this time."

Ata started crying again.

"Any word to Silent Wing?" asked the black Alicorn imposter. "Did he survive my first test?" He joined his daughter, helping himself to a drink. The twins followed quietly in his wake, both of them watching Twilight and the children with predatory eyes and their eerie and disconcerting joint stare.

"Faring a touch better than his _imposter_ mother," sighed Draccaria. "You should have let me kill him. There's this strange old white griffon who suddenly appeared and broke the control you had over Scarheart."

He nodded, conversing as if there was not a lavender mare staring at him and his daughter with a calliope of emotions dancing across her face. "I was wondering when he'd show up."

"Tseng Tzu?" Twilight asked, daring to speak up.

"The one and only. Strange he would go by that name." Flamespyre offered Twilight a drink. "Very good. Grown locally, or so my daughter tells me." With a compelling smile to the identical queens, the slid forward with seductive little smiles playing over their fangs. "Ladies. Would you mind taking the two little ones to a place where they might have a nap? They must be having so many things going through their little heads right now."

"Of course -"

"- we would love -"

"- to have quality time -"

"- with such -"

"- delicious morsels." The two queens smiled, their horns taking on a apricot glow like large lit wicks. The first thing to happen was Atalanta and Star Journey suddenly became sleepy. They were then gently lifted even as Flamespyre held the Alicorn still with his sheer will, his eye locked firmly upon hers.

"Do not harm them. Do not feed upon them. Let the children sleep." His gaze never wavered from Twilight. "We adults need to talk. Off with you."

"Yes -"

"- Dragonking -"

"- as you command."

They took a moment to decide which would carry what colt or filly, floating the sleeping forms between them. It was an odd dance as the two queens grinned to each other, making a game of it. They trotted away, still trying to decide who would get what as they played with their new sleeping toys.

When they spoke to each other, there were no spoken words. One simply knew the other's thoughts the moment they thought them. Hearing each other speak since they learned their first words had always given them comfort, the familiar sounds lending strength to each other. Though they seemed to Flamespyre and Draccaria to be bubble headed fillies, combined their magic was formidable as they could cast spells twice as fast considering two minds as one thought.

"This Silent Wing. We should get a look at him," noted Tappaz as she used her mane two weave a sort of hammock for Star Journey. Though he was asleep, she nuzzled him, ignoring her master's command to not feed. It was just a taste. Just a lovely taste. In return she whispered sweet dreams into him, chasing his fears away. Love tasted its best when all negative emotions were chased away. It made for a better feeding experience for both host and parasite.

Queen Tappis patiently waited for her sister to have her taste. In the meantime, she nuzzled Atalanta affectionately. Changelings did not feed off of other changelings without permission, though there was pause as both twins wondered if Topaz changelings could feed off those of the Emerald kingdom. It was agreed since they were both queens, then there was a very distant family relationship somewhere in there. Technically Crown Princess Atalanta was a cousin many, many, many times removed.

The twin queens merely shrugged the technicalities. Tappis did as her sister conducted upon Star Journey, bestowing upon the little sleeping filly the sweetest of dreams as she savored the taste of love.

They carried themselves on their wings, trading hosts at some point and repeating their feeding. Tappis and Tappaz were very good at what they did and loved being subtle in their actions, even if it meant defying the orders of the master to not feed on the children. He knew nothing of the five thousand years of changes. Changelings rarely fed with their fangs anymore, save for some of their more elaborate rituals. Of course, there were the disturbing forced feedings where a changeling would simply hold down a victim and literally suck the love out of them, though that was considered rather messy and barbaric these days.

There were five changeling kingdoms (or independent clans, depending upon whom was asked); Emerald under Queen Chrysalis, Topaz under Queens Tappaz and Tappis, Ruby under Queen Rubanza (every queen ascending the Ruby Throne assumed this name), Diamond under Queen Alzaera, and Broken (United, if one asked its citizens) Sapphire (the result of Flamespyre's experiments having reduced them to a confederation of numerous matriarchal family groups under a disturbing new system of government called a 'republic'). There had been a sixth kingdom, but it was believed to be completely destroyed by the Alicorns and their allies. It would have been the Jade Kingdom. For the sake of ease, they had been labeled after the gems they represented long ago and it had stuck, though outsiders unfamiliar with changeling society would not know of this.

The pair and their little hosts hummed into their private chambers, a room where everything was shared. With reluctance, they set the filly and the colt on their bed, taking care to make sure they were tucked in. Despite their fearsome reputation for crushing those who displeased them or went against their will, Tappaz and Tappis were very gentle when it came to foals, young colts, and young fillies. Topaz queens had always been like that, yet they also preferred feeding upon the young. It simply tasted better in their minds. In Equestria, they would have been viewed worse than vampires, preying simply on the helpless children.

"Why do you suppose Myzanum failed?" Tappis asked her sister, pulling from her mind to think for herself. Her sister nodded as they went to a darkened corner of the room where their scrying orb. Deep purple round pillows were haphazardly arranged. Both sisters seated upon their bellies, curling their holed hooves beneath them.

Tappaz mentally summoned a servant, her horn glowing with a quick flash. A little pale changeling appeared from seemingly nowhere, silent as a wraith. It was indeed her name. "The two little ones on the bed," she began, adding her magic to the spell her sister was placing upon the orb.

"Prepare for them a bath and bring common fare for their palates," finished Tappis.

"Yes, my Queens," rasped the twisted thing in a voice like grating metal.

Wraith did everything for the two Queens. She was hideously twisted thing, with one eye twice as large as the left, blazing madly. Her wings were massive for a changeling. Her hooves were not hooves as equines might know; they ended in pointed tips, three prongs on each end of each holed leg. Her tail was long, bare and ended like the tip of a whip. Her snout ended with jagged plates where fangs should have been. Her mane was nonexistent, the back of her neck smooth and unblemished, unlike the rest of her body. It was covered with cris-crossing scars. Nopony knew how old she was. It was rumored she was a fallen queen.

Wraith was their personal assassin. Despite her appearance, she was extremely cunning, more than willing to work alone, and absolutely devoted to her Twin Majesties. She waited, knowing there was something else. She had been a gift to the daughters of a pleased queen the day they deposed her twelve years ago. Mother always did say they loved taking the initiative.

The orb was set upon an iron setting. Both mares finished the spell and spoke the name of the monarch they sought. There she was!

"I don't know why this captain failed," snorted Tappaz as her sister beckoned Wraith over. "We should know why, but we cannot see reason. He failed." They were both speaking now. Respectfully, Wraith waited, watching her queens. "Love," they both said in unison, chuckling.

They were both surprised when they were shown a vision of Chrysalis in the back of a wagon being pulled by a big red Earth pony.

"There is your mark, Our dear Wraith," they said in a single purr. "Go and finish. Move quickly. Do not fail. Do not return until the last of her life spills across your fangs."

Saying nothing but smiling in eager anticipation, an evil hiss came from Wraith.

"You never have, dearest Lifetaker," Tappaz addressed the white changeling in by her title, mostly to stress the importance of this mission.

"This will please our Master," Tappis noted, hovering a hoof over the ball. She scryed, noticing another dark changeling form lying still and next to the large body. "Ah, sacrifice."

"The greatest thing a changeling can do for a queen."

"Life for love, love for life," they intoned in one voice. They respected this, seeing this was the one responsible for giving the stricken queen a chance.

"Too bad," Tappaz sighed.

Tappis finished for her, "he was cute."

"Go!" they commanded Wraith. The pale thing grinned, bowed, and faded into the darkness.

Both queens sighed to each other. They waited. Wraith returned, bringing a large platter laden with food. It was set on the bed, the pale changeling observing Atalanta and Star Journey with little more than passing curiosity. With clicking sounds from the tips of her legs striking the floor, she skittered to the personal bath of the queens and soon the sound of running water could be heard. It was with practiced ease Wraith puttered around as a grotesque nanny, which had been her exact purpose for the two queens.

What she was remained a mystery. Where she came from was even more so. But she did as she was commanded, without hesitation, without question. Wraith had followed the Topaz Queens for over six generations, passed along as a living heirloom.

"All is prepared. I go," she hissed in her metallic voice. Without waiting, the creature was gone, not even leaving a wake of her presence to detect.

"Silent Wing," they both said to the scrying orb. Both held a hoof over it, the light emanating from the enchanted crystal ball. It flared, shifted, swirled from within. They saw the image of a gray-yellow Pegasus with a strange muzzle and changeling legs. "Off-limits from our clutches, but it would not hurt to see what has the Master's attention."

The looked at him, pondering, eyes unreadable. He was currently being held by a dark blue Alicorn, her magical aura surrounding his limp form. Silent Wing looked broken, shattered, and appeared a waste of the two queen's time. Instead, they studied the Princess of the Moon Luna, having never seen her before, gauging her from the impossible position of being thousands of miles away. They had to be cautious. Luna was a very powerful creature. It was said her magic was second to her sister, Princess Celestia's and her temper was quicker to flare.

"Formidable." Tappis caressed the smooth crystal.

"Dangerous." Tappaz smiled wickedly.

They looked at each other, sharing their thoughts as they always did, smiling knowingly. They turned their attention back to Silent Wing. There had to be more there beyond the pitiful little form. They studied his eyes, his expressions. For a moment, they were distracted from his fangs, slightly longer than a normal changeling's, not as curved. More like a dragon's. Find this curious indeed, they noted his golden eyes, how they burned. There! This was what they had hoped to find. The flames of life burned fiercely. There was vengeance, anger, and of course pure hatred.

"For the Master?" Tappaz tilted her head to one side, curious.

"He is a chimera, sister. They all hate him. They all fear him. They all obey or they all die." Tappis frowned, squinting at Silent Wing's image before dismissing the scrying orb. Any longer and the Alicorn might begin to feel magical eyes upon her.

"But he does not know the Master," supplied the other. They rose as one, bumping into each other affectionately and nuzzling. "He will learn. Or he will die."

Slowly they turned their attention upon Atalanta, knowing her to be the sister of Silent Wing. They envied her, they discovered to their own surprise. "His desire to live is overwhelming, even broken." Their combined voice thrummed down upon the two sleeping children. They crawled upon the beds, each one taking up a youngster upon her front hooves, resting sleeping heads against their respective chests.

"Awaken," a sister intoned

The other followed. "Awaken."

Their words bounced back an forth softly, then joined again. "Feast, then bathe, then we shall learn about each other." This was spoken as little eyes fluttered open, each one covered over with changeling mind control magic, placed as the first layer when they had been bitten. They wanted their playthings to be obedient.

"Are you hungry?" asked Tappaz sweetly, assuming a motherly tone. She had Atalanta in her grasp.

"Yes," replied the filly, eyeing the tray of food.

"Open wide!" Tappaz lifted a sliced piece of apple with her magic and steered it towards the eager and awaiting mouth. Piece by piece she fed the enchanted princess as if she were a foal, delighting in the feeling it gave her.

Tappis critically touched her hoof and pressed against Star Journey's round belly. Giggling and looking up at her sister, she said, "Fluffy. Too fluffy. No royalty should look this way. We MUST do something about that, should we not?" Her topaz harlequin eyes rolled down, found his enchanted ones were trying to meet hers. Star Journey's face was crestfallen, but she fed him as her sister fed Atalanta, just not as much.

They fed conventionally, simply breathing in the love even as they patiently fed their new toys as if they were living dolls. It could best be described as a pair of mares gingerly sipping on iced tea while reading a favorite novel.

"How are you at magic?" asked Tappis to Star Journey when she decided he had eaten enough. He stared mournfully at the food still on the plate.

"Bad," he said sullenly. "I hate studying."

This made both queens frown. "This will not do," said Tappaz sternly as she played with Atalanta. "If you're going to be fat, then you could at least be an egghead."

Tappis picked up after her sister, "You are getting exercise, young colt. You have too much potential to waste on stuffing your fat little face."

Tappaz continued for her. "You're going to be here for a long time. Might as well adjust this learning deficiency you have."

"And your weight must be brought under control. We have ways of fixing that..._heh_...little problem."

The two queens giggled at each other. Atalanta, not really understanding fully what was said, laughed weakly. "What are you talking about?" she asked. Being in the hooves of a changeling queen gave her odd comfort, the magic enchantment over her mind partially telling her the queen..._no_...queens she was with were both Momma, yet this was not true. Her mind was a muddled fog.

"Your future, little one," cooed Tappis from where she lay. She was tickling prince Star Journey's belly now. "The Master has given us the task of watching over you at the present as well as the foreseeable future."

This stopped the chubby Unicorn cold. "What about my mommy?"

This startled Atalanta from her enchantment. "Momma!" her eyes went wide.

Irritated, both queens shared a look, their horns glowing as they brought little eyes up to their own and forced their collective will upon them.

Her eyes glowed a dull topaz, the little princess uttering weakly, "Momma, momma...where are...you..." She whimpered as the enchantment renewed its hold over her little mind.

"Fret not, little ones," both queens whispered in gentle tones, as if speaking to foals. "Your mothers are here. We are your mothers now. Nothing will ever, ever change that."

Star Journey and Atalanta were compelled to believe, their little minds weakly fending off the lie as the will of the queens gently, yet firmly became the only thing that mattered. The first step to defeating the enemy was to win the hearts and minds of those who supported them.

It was a good start.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Pathos and a Crowing Dragon**

He awoke in a white room feeling weak and worn out. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust, picking up the details of what was his second hospital room in less than a week. Groaning, he found a soft white blanket had been pulled up to his shoulders as he lay on his back. At least the bed was comfortable. Movement was restricted due to tubes in both of his forelegs. Correction; it was just in one arm. Both were actually held into place by straps. Neither could he move his hind legs.

Silent Wing wondered what was going on. Turning his head, he turned his head towards a beeping sound his ears were just now trying to tune out. They became his focus as he saw the monitor with his hear rate being shown as well as his blood pressure. Every five minutes or so the pad on his upper right foreleg would inflate with air from an automatic air pump and take his blood pressure. He was wearing a pale hospital gown with floral patterns on them.

Why was he strapped down? Was he a prisoner now? Was Canterlot holding all changelings responsible for what happened? Where was Mother? What happened?

He remembered, his blood suddenly running cold. Flamespyre had taken Twilight Sparkle and that chubby kid of hers. That red eye flickered into his memory, the darkness.

The pain._ Oh, Creator, the pain!_ Silent swallowed hard, closing his eyes. The memory lingered, reminding him like a cruel joke. The physical pain was gone, but his body still felt dull and throbbed.

He could hear hoofsteps in the hallway outside. No, there was more than one. There were many. The colt could also hear voices. The door was closed, he noticed as he stiffly turned his head to the right. He had the room to himself. There was a small tray on wheels designed to be moved over a bed just to his left and in the corner. On it there was a pitcher of water and a cup. The visual tour continued, though there was not really much else to see. Other than a couple of cheap plush chairs and a small round table between them, the only thing left to see was the large window to his left. There was a tree obscuring half the view. It appeared to be midday. He could hear birds outside. Somepony had thought to open the window a crack. Their songs reached him. A slight and cool breeze could be felt.

Silent began wondering something could be wrong. Other than the obvious straps, where was his mother? If she was somehow a prisoner, where was his sister? The door opened and a small white Unicorn nurse entered with a tray and clipboard floating just behind her head.

"Ah, you're awake," she said when she noticed. She had a pretty smile, was exhausted, but seemed genuinely pleased to see him looking at her. "Oh, wonderful! This will make the doctor happy." She bustled in with renewed energy as if a wave of relief had washed over her.

"Is there a reason I'm strapped down?" he asked plainly, tugging at them for emphasis.

"Ah, yes, that," she said with a nod, setting her things on the tray. The nurse unbound his right foreleg, then his left. "You thrashed quite a bit while you were unconscious. We had to restrain you as you were a threat to harming yourself."

She took his pulse, pressing the edge of her hoof to his jugular and staring up at the clock on the wall. Her head bounced in time with the seconds as her mouth formed the numbers on her lips. She picked up the tablet and scribbled on it from a pen she kept clipped with it.

"You had a lot of fractured bones - micro fractures - throughout a lot of your body, specifically around your upper body and shoulder area. We had to keep you immobile while the medicine did its work." She smiled at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore. Weak. Thirsty."

She poured him some water from the pitcher and handed the colt the glass. He drained it quickly, making loud gulping sounds. Some of it trickled over the rim and down his chin, dribbling on his neck and chest. He finished with an exhale and gave the glass back.

"Do you need anything?" she asked him.

"Where's my mother?"

She froze, her smile suddenly losing the warmth. "I can have the doctor explain that to you," the nurse said, gathering up her things. "I'm sorry. I'll send for him. Okay?"

"Um, okay." Silent felt a pit in his stomach. The nurse was gone as quickly as she had come. The hell someone was going to tell him to wait. He already knew something was wrong. Master Tseng Tzu had always told him to trust his instincts.

He yanked out everything attached to his forearms and legs and unfastened the straps on his hind legs. The first thing to go was that frilly hospital gown. The pattern was too filly for the colt. It took a moment for him to find his hooves as he slid to the ground from his bed. At least his wing felt fine now. Silent should have asked the nurse how long he had been out. A grim smile accompanied an unbidden flashback to the cave, the crystal, seeing his sister for the first - no, second - time. The first time was while seeing Scarheart's memory. There was no way she could be his sister. Silent refused to believe it. As for Flamespyre...

The colt snorted, shaking the memory from his mind. He started for the door. It opened before he could get to it. Applejack stood in the doorway, her green eyes wide when she noticed she was almost nose to nose with the young changeling prince.

"What in tarnation do you think you're doing out of bed, young feller?" she recovered quickly and demanded sternly. Behind her were what appeared to be Rarity and a stallion Silent had never met before. AJ moved in and began pushing the colt back towards his bed with her head, pushing him firmly. She was a very strong mare and had a little big of weight behind her to boost her leverage. "C'mon, back in bed."

"But," Silent protested as his golden eyes went round. _Merciful Creator, she's strong! _His hooves found no purchase on the floor. He noticed her eyes had a flicker of fear and worry directed at him.

"Don't you 'but' me, sugarcube. The doctor ain't given you permission to get up yet. And don't you sass me, either. I've raised three colts, each on just as onery as you." She stopped shoving him and set back, giving Silent an expectant arch of a brow.

"Young stallion," Rarity said as she came up behind her friend. "Please don't strain yourself so. You've only been out for three days and I don't think you should be running around in your condition."

Silent balked. "Three days?"

"Yes, dear. Three. Now get back in bed like a good colt."

A question returned to his lips. "Where's my mother?"

The two mares seemed to be expecting the question to come, but it was one of those queries one could never fully prepare for. The stallion who had been in the hallway entered. He was a Pegasus with a dull orange coat and a short cropped sapphire mane and tail. His blue eyes were searching Silent Wing. "I'm Flash Sentry," he introduced himself, trying to deflect the question. "I'm Princess Twilight Sparkle's husband." He was in full golden armor bearing the rank of general on his insignia. The expression he wore was almost accusatory, as if Silent had stolen his pet puppy.

"Pleased to meet you," Silent said flatly. "Where's my mom? What happened to her?" His anger was beginning to rise. "Don't hide shit from me." He stared at the big stallion fearlessly.

"Easy, sugarcube," AJ pushed herself between the two.

Rarity whispered into Flash Sentry's ear intently, her voice firm and reproaching. The big stallion snorted, glared at her and stormed outside.

"Ah'll tell ya, Silent, but not until you promise me you won't explode. Ah've heard of your temper. Princess Luna said you've got a short fuse. Everypony don't need you going loco in a hospital, ya'hear?" She had moved right into his face, speaking softly in a motherly voice.

Rarity shared her friend's concern. "While you were out," she explained slowly, as if the words she spoke were still unbelievable. "War started. It started the day that horrid dragon woke up."

"What?" Silent Wing blinked. "War? Equestria is at war? Against whom?"

There was an icy silence in the room. The Unicorn and the Earth pony glanced at each other uneasily.

Flash Sentry had returned during the moment of awkward pause. It was his voice delivering the devastating news. "Grazeland is currently a battlefield. Even as we speak, the Equestrian Army is fighting your changelings, Prince Silent Wing. Equestria is at war with the Changeling Kingdom. That's just for starters." His voice was cold, a battlefield commander doling out nothing but the facts. "An estimated force of two million changelings of various types have taken a third of the Griffon Kingdom after three days of fighting and several other kingdoms have reported similar attacks. Half the known world is a battlefield as we speak." There was open hostility in his tone when he finished delivering the news. "So nopony's going to give a damn about an evil queen lying in a coma with a hole in her chest."

Applejack and Rarity had both spun around, eyes wide with shock and jaws hanging open. Flash Sentry pushed past them, ignoring the sputtering Unicorn and the glaring Earth pony. Normally, he was a kindly stallion who took his job perhaps a bit too seriously, married more to it than his wife. Having heard the news his family had been taken easily with only a mixed breed changeling as a witness couple with the war starting the same day, the stress had gotten to him and he wanted some pony to blame. Silent Wing became the logical choice given the circumstances.

The colt was trying to digest everything, his brows furrowing with uncertainty. The only thing his ears registered was _lying in a coma with a hole in her chest..._

His voice - when he finally found it - was quiet, low. Silent had already dropped his eyes to the floor while trying to register Flash Sentry's words. "Where is she?"

Flash leaned in like a drill instructor over a recruit. "You're not going anywhere, colt. I've got a lot of questions to ask you and unless like what I hear, you are not leaving this room any time soon. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

If he had hoped to intimidate a young prince still weak and recovering from his injuries, he was sorely mistaken. Silent Wing lifted his chin, his face an unreadable mask. Every other muscle in his body tensed, building up energy. Too late, Flash Sentry read the attack in the young colt's golden eyes, a pair of burning pools of golden fury. If he had read the report provided to him by his own intelligence in regards to the young prince, read the dossier, or even the report Luna had provided from the Grazeland incident, he very likely would have handled Silent Wing with more respect. As it was, he just saw a weakened colt and underestimated him badly.

He was hit twice before his brain registered _something_ was happening. Flash Sentry understood it was a punch as his head snapped to the right, his body twisting with the momentum, his jaw exploding with pain, and he was suddenly staring at a white Unicorn just starting to react. The pale yellow form of the prince leapt over him, a hoof clipping him insultingly against his helmet with a _clang! _before skidding out into the hallway.

His nostrils tested the air as started hospital staff ponies stared at this disheveled colt with wild eyes and half flared wings stood in the hall. The two guards posted outside his door stared in shock, then moved automatically to restrain him.

Another mistake. They were soon in a moaning heap at the colt's hooves as he resumed searching for his mother's scent. Silent Wing found it despite the thousands of other smells in the air. Though he was not a pure changeling, he had grown up around his mother and knew her distinct scent. He was galloping past patients, nurses, visitors and doctors. At crowded areas, he simply used the walls and his wings to get around obstacles, living or inert. He only paused at a stairwell, testing the air again. Queen changelings released a pheromone when they were injured or in distress, a sort of distress signal for sensitive noses for those who could sniff it out. His nose told him to go up. He did so.

He was already hearing voices chasing after him, the clattering of hooves as security ponies were after him. The young prince went up the flight of stairs, half leaping and half flying, even though there was no room for them. Prowling like a predator on the hunt, he stopped at each floor, checking his direction.

_ No, not this floor, either_.

Up to the next one, a security mare staring down at him in astonishment. Her surprised look and fear prevented her from getting a hoof to the face, but she was shoved hard and into the corner of the stairwell. She remained frozen in place when the prince growled at her. Silent ignored her the moment she no longer felt a threat, halfway up to the next floor. Pausing at the door, he again flared his nostrils.

_Here we go._

He threw the door open with a hoof, sliding through with his head up high, looking first to the left, then the right. Which way? Ponies stared at him. The snorting colt pawed at the floor impatiently, wings flapping. Scrambling hooves were thundering towards him. The whole hospital was now in an uproar. There seemed to be a ton of armed guards down the hall to his right.

Exactly the direction his nose told him to go.

_Fan-friggin' tastic._

The problem with being an armed guard in a hallway about six feet wide and eight feet high is standing shoulder to shoulder limited movement. Being armored encumbered the wearer and spears weren't really designed for close quarters combat. Thirdly, they had to watch where they swung their weapon or leveled their kicks for fear of hitting somepony on the same team.

Silent Wing had no such restrictions. He was also very angry at this point, his mind registering anything armed and in front of him keeping him from his queen's side a threat. The changeling in him wanted to be at her side and defend her at all cost. The part of him who knew and loved her as his mother simply wanted to destroy things as he understood she was hurt and therefore somepony was responsible for it. Swinging blindly at anypony with a weapon seemed to be a good idea at that moment.

He paced back and forth at the entrance, his eyes fully on his intended destination. Thinking he was afraid at the numbers starting to build against him, the advanced with confidence. Calls for him to surrender fell on deaf ears. Snorting wildly, the young prince licked his fangs, his eyes bulging as he committed himself after calculating his angle of attack.

Silent Wing charged, bounding to the left, then bouncing to the right, his head going low as he appeared to go straight for the middle of the three guards in front of him. Two more were behind them and another four were clustered at a pair of swinging doors at the end of the hall. Right at the moment of impact, the colt extended his wings, using them to obscure the vision of the ponies in the way. Jumping to the right at the moment his wings came out, he knocked a spearhead pointed in his general direction. A back hoof found a helmeted head and shoved hard left while a forehoof touched the top of a flank just in front of a tail. The surprised pony dropped his rump, trying to spin after the colt while dealing with untangling himself from his two companions.

The prince was already into the next two guards, jumping in the air to the left this time and simply launching himself off the wall with a flying kick from a hind hoof. It found its mark in the chest of a mare who was trying to immobilize him with her horn. Apparently nopony bothered to find out Silent was immune to magic. Either that or she had forgotten that important tidbit. She fell away, gasping for air as her companion suddenly found himself face-to-face with a snarling and angry prince.

"You can run, now," he whispered in a flat, emotionless voice.

The Earth pony fled, his spear clattering on the floor.

The four ponies between him and his mother were shoulder to shoulder. They all wore the expression of fear. The Unicorn at his hooves struggled to right herself. Silent Wing planted his changeling hoof on her shoulder. "Stay down," he ordered the mare. "Don't push it. I don't want to kill anypony. _I just want to get to __**my **__**mother**_." Silent had started to raise his voice, going up and up until he was screaming at the four guards sill in the way.

_When did the tears start falling?_

The Unicorn froze, staring up at him. She was frightened.

They were all frightened. But they gave way nervously. A doctor nervously came forward from the double doors and made his way to Silent Wing. He was an older stallion, with flecks of gray in his yellow mane. His light blue coat was covered with cold sweat beneath his lab coat. "Queen Chrysalis is this way, young prince," he said, adjusting his glasses.

The guard was immediately released. She did as he instructed, remaining where she lay, curling up into a fetal position. Silent had already forgotten her and was following the physician. The four guards who had moved aside were frozen, save for one who had decided to move towards the downed Unicorn. Silent ignored him.

* * *

Applejack and Rarity had followed him at a safe distance, finding his penchant for violence shockingly horrific. To them, it was like watching an avalanche happen right in front of them, too horrible to witness, yet they were unable to tear their eyes from it. They found themselves stepping over groaning ponies (all of them armored guards, they noted) while others were simply left with having witnessed something ponies did not see every day at a hospital.

"Well," AJ noted to Rarity nervously, "at least he ain't killed nopony."

She and Rarity had come to check up on the young prince, along with Flash Sentry. The Pegasus more or less placed the duty upon himself to question Silent Wing as to the events leading towards the disappearance of his wife and son. Now he was on the first floor nursing a broken jaw with his pride scattered all over the floor. It was understandable for any husband and father to want to seek answers for the disappearance of his family, but the general had obviously gone about it the wrong way. With Silent Wing, it was apparent pushing the wrong buttons as being a bad idea became a glaring understatement.

"Indeed," replied the fashionista. "There's a certain art to his war, don't you think?"

Both friends looked down the hall Silent Wing had just gone down. They heard him screaming at the guards. They fully understood him, of course. The bearers of the elements of Generosity and Honesty gave each other a look and fearful smiles. They nodded to each other and decided to throw their support to the colt, trotting after him.

"I did not train him to be like this," said an old voice behind them. Rarity and Applejack both jumped. "Truth be told, he's supposed to use his training to protect others, not assault them. I am disappointed."

"Goodness me, when did you get here?" Rarity asked Tseng Tzu when she identified him. "You startled me, Mr. Tzu."

"I just arrived," he replied gruffly, tapping the end of his staff on the floor. The blind griffon started forward, his beak set in a frown. "Stay here, if you please. He must learn the consequences of his actions."

"But," Applejack started, but a single claw rested on the tip of her lips.

"This is important for him, especially during these troubled times, Mrs. Applejack."

Rarity puffed herself up with outraged. "Are you proposing we just wait here?" she huffed.

"Yes. I will take full responsibility for the actions of my student. I made him what he is to this day. Truth be told, this will be a test as much for me as it is for him." The old bird sighed, leaning heavily on his staff. "These are the days I feel my years."

* * *

There were two guards outside of the intensive care unit. Both were bat-winged Pegasus. They were from Luna's personal guard. Silent found this a bit odd as he had only heard of them, but never actually seen them. They recognized him immediately as he approached, their dark armor clanking as they drew themselves to attention.

The young colt tensed. These two were trained, unlike the common soldiers who had been out in the halls. More than likely if a fight did break out, it would be a short one with the prince getting the short end of the stick. Without a word, they simply held the door open for him and offered polite bows.

"This way," the doctor said, less nervous when he noticed Silent Wing begin to relax.

Silent did not see Luna watching him from around the corner. Her visage was unreadable, having nodded to her guards to let him through. Hearing his little destructive journey through the hospital had made her quite put out with him. She had also expected it, having had a chance to learn a little of his personality first hand. Thinking before acting was not a strong suit. The colt needed a short leash.

A _very_ short one.

Silent Wing saw a white curtain in front of him, in the corner of the room. There were eight beds in this section of the ward. Only one was occupied. The curtain was drawn before him, the last barrier between him and his mother.

"Take your time," the doctor whispered sympathetically. Changeling or pony, the only thing he could see was a colt on the verge of breaking upon seeing something where he had no idea what to expect. A reassuring hoof patted Silent on the shoulder as the doctor departed quietly.

This final obstacle was proving to be harder to get around than the guards. The psychological barrier before him was fear; what would he see when he moved the curtain aside? What did she look like? He could hear the heart monitor and the oxygen machine pumping. His lower lip quivered as he shakily forced a wobbly body forward. Silent Wing inhaled deeply and set his jaw, forcing his head around the curtain.

He looked upon the bed.

She lay there, sleeping, eyes closed and her mouth slightly agape. Her head was turned slightly to the left. She was set on her back as comfortably as the bed allowed her to be, her front hooves drawn up to her chest. Wires sprouted from her body like parasites. Queen Chrysalis did not look at all like a queen, There was nothing majestic about her condition nor her appearance. She seemed worn, gray, and weak. Here was a shadow of a monarch who had once put fear in the hearts who only had but to hear her name. Here was a mother. Her son gaze upon her now, body quivering and eyes moistening.

Silent moaned, a low, pitiful sound as he came up to her bed side. Reaching out a hoof, he had to touch her face, to brush that irritating strand of hair from her eyes. Was she dreaming? If so, what was the dream? He looked down at her, not sure if he should cry or stand there or hold her hoof or what. The colt leaned forward and kissed her on the tip of her muzzle.

"Momma? I'm here."

An ear twitched. She moved ever so slightly, almost as if she could feel her baby was there with her. Without thinking, the colt deftly jumped carefully up into the bed and lay down on his side next to her. It did not matter if a third of his body dangled precariously over the edge of the bed. It did not matter if it was an uncomfortable position for him. The strongest anypony he had ever known now lay in a pitiful state and he wanted to comfort her they way he had seen her comfort Atalanta when his sister had been sick. He wrapped his forelegs around one of hers and began to cry.

Any eyes who might have been waching did not remain dry for long.

He stayed with her for a long time, not moving, but simply looking at her long after the tears had dried away. He nuzzled her neck and whispered to her, letting her know he was there. Silent didn't know what else to do. She wasn't waking up. Would she wake up?

Ponies saw her as a monster, a beast, a nightmare. Mothers and fathers told their children to behave or the monster Chrysalis would come from the shadows and gobble up all of their love. To a certain changeling prince, she was the greatest mother in the world. No, she was not perfect, could never be perfect. She had a past filled with questionable intent. Ponies saw her as a monster. Changelings saw her as a monarch who failed her duties in providing love for her subjects. Nobles had eroded her power from beneath her shortly after her greatest failure. For an embattled queen who had never understood love in its entirety, she had done a pretty damn good job considering in the role of mother, so far as a certain colt could attest.

He had a sister who would echo his sentiment.

His head shot up suddenly from where it lay, but carefully as not to jostle Chrysalis.

"Where's Ata?"

Luna was there when he spoke, almost as if she anticipated the realization. She quietly pushed away the curtain a little further. Her blue eyes were filled with sympathy. There was also resigned resolve behind them. "We need to talk, Silent. It's about your sister."

He slid to the floor after easing himself away from his stricken mother. As he turned to face the Alicorn, he felt her wing drape over his withers and pull him to her. She was assuming the role of a big sister for a change, reversing what Tia would normally do. It was an interesting position, but she felt she could guide the colt better than any pony in Equestria. At least, that's what her sister had informed her recently. Having seen inside his dreams, Luna was in the best position to know what buttons to push with this volatile chimera. Taking a deep breath and not looking forward to his reaction, she told him what had happened.

It all returned to him. The game set before him by his so-called father Flamespyre.

_"Listen well, my son. I shall only tell you this once. Gather with you the Elements of Harmony and the Alicorn known as Luna. Go to the place where I first awakened fifteen years ago. From there, you will seek out my lair and find the clue needed to find where I am. Come to me, face me, and you will have a chance to gain a prize. You shall have a chance to win back Twilight Sparkle, her fat son, and either your sister or your mother, whichever is brought to me first."_

He repeated it as those words seared themselves into his recollection. Silent Wing felt weak again and nearly stumbled. "He's got Ata!" he exclaimed, another dagger in his heart.

Luna supported him. She could understand why Celestia both enjoyed and hated doing this. It was simply awful watching a soul tear itself apart like this before her eyes. Watching the emotions playing across a tortured colt was one such moment. Silent was playing his actions over the course of this day over and over again. The unnecessary violence, all started by a few simple words spoken harshly.

"I hurt ponies," he said, suddenly despising himself as he realized what he had done to get to his mother. "I'm sorry. I surrender to your authority, Princess Luna. Nopony else. I don't trust any other but you."

She was surprised to hear him say that to her. Silent sagged suddenly, his body finally giving out as he had not eaten anything for three days. He started crying again, but this was from guilt.

Luna gave him a few moments then told him, "For your own safety and for the sake of appearances, you will need to be confined into a cell until such a time as to I can discuss this incident with my sister. I will also relay to her what you told me. Do not be surprised if you are questioned later. Understand?"

The pale head with the red mane rose up. Golden eyes locked with her cyan gaze. There was no fight in them, she could see. He didn't want to fight. He had fought enough today and for the wrong reasons. He was tired of fighting that sort of fight. It was getting him nowhere and he was beginning to understand it.

"I understand," he whispered. "But don't leave her alone." Silent looked over at his mother. "Please don't leave her alone. Without me and my sister, she doesn't have anypony who loves her. I know it probably sounds stupid to you, but she needs someone to talk to her, to tell her she's needed. She needs a voice to tell her she's loved."

"I can understand that," said Luna. "I'll see what I can do." _Who would want to sit with her? _The Princess of the Moon wondered who would sit with Queen Chrysalis.

Silent Wing still was not finished. He hesitated, wondering if he should - "Don't leave her in the dark," he blurted with sudden urgency. "She's always slept with a light by her bed."

"Consider it done, young prince." Luna was amused by this request. But it was such a simple and unexpected one. "Anything else?" she asked, half expecting him to rattle off a list of demands.

He pondered for a moment before asking, "Can you go into her dreams and make sure she has good ones?"

Luna honestly did not know how to answer.

* * *

An army surgeon came to check on him just before his incarceration. Luna left explicit instructions to offer him all the courtesy of a foreign dignitary minimally allowed, again for the sake of appearances. One of the things required was for a doctor the check up on the colt to ensure he was a.) well enough to be discharged from the hospital and b.) healthy enough to handle imprisonment. The Alicorn hoped the colt was not well enough for jail. She was mildly irritated to discover he had recovered remarkably well and just needed a hearty meal. Luna made sure he was fed before allowing her guards to escort him to his new 'quarters'.

He was given a cell with a small window in the garrison. Despite what ponies thought, Canterlot did not have an actual dungeon. Those were the creation of fantasy novels and tales of brave knights and swooning fillies. No, he was given a normal prison cell at the garrison confinement facility within the outer walls of the castle. It was usually used for the soldiers who got a little too rowdy the night before and were placed in here to sleep off their drunken stupor.

It had iron bars and was large enough to accommodate four prisoners. There were four bunks, two stacked on each side of the cell itself. There was a privy in one corner and a wash basin in the other. It was dimly lit but clean. The bunks were uncomfortable and stiff, but at least they didn't have lice. Not intended for comfort, the Equestrian military at least kept it clean. The barred window at the back of the cell was tiny, just large enough for a pony to look through if they stood on their hind legs and peered out.

Silent took this moment to sit in the center of his cell and assume a meditative position, crossing his hind legs over each other and resting his forehooves upon his knees, angled away from each other. It was said a master of meditating could use his life force to lift himself off the ground when his chi was one with his surroundings. Silent had seen Tseng Tzu do it, but had never even come close himself. He did find it a great way to calm his emotions and relax.

He received no visitors (at his request) and spent his time in thought. Silent Wing knew his temper was of the unpredictable variety and he wanted to address that. But how? Master Tseng Tzu had once told him in order to master his enemies, he first had to learn how to master himself. It was painfully obvious the colt had a very long road to travel to learn how to control his emotions. Silent Wing needed to understand his own limitations. What were they? Again, this was another road, but perhaps one or the same in the quest to master himself.

He considered this until a guard interrupted his thoughts by banging his night stick against the bars. "Lights out, prince," he barked in a tone that could only be described as hostile.

Silent Wing went to bed.

The next morning, the most terrible sounding rooster Silent Wing had ever heard crowed roused him from his sleep. It was a very, very loud bird and seemed to be right outside his window. Wondering what in Tartarus kind of rooster would make such a terrible racket, he forced himself to his hooves and went to the window to see the source. It sounded more like a roar than a crow. It also sounded forced, like the silly bird was trying too hard to be as insanely loud as possible.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO!"

What he saw was something completely different. He blinked, rubbing his eyes in disbelief. That was no chicken out there greeting Celestia's sun.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO!" That one was different, as if coming from a smaller set of pipes. It was also higher-pitched.

There was a red dragon perched on the parapet flapping his wings and stretching out his neck and belting out his version of a rooster saying 'good morning'. It was apparent the dragon was enjoying this strange thing as well.

"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO!"

He then heard the voice of Pinkie Pie yell, "ALL RIGHT! ONE MORE TIME, BUT WITH FEEEELING!" Of course, she had to demonstrate again for her student. He could just make her out now, wearing what appeared to be a chicken costume to get into the spirit of teaching a dragon how to be a rooster. "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO! JUST LIKE THAT, SCARHEART! AS LOUD AS YOU CAN DO IT!"

_**"COCK-A-DOODLE-DOOOOOO!"**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**The Weight of Responsibility**

As Silent Wing was confined in the castle garrison, the other changelings who had come on the trip were kept in the city garrison, a larger facility. The guards assigned to watch over them were five times the number of actual changelings they had in custody. They were deeply feared despite the constant assurances from both Princess Celestia and Princess Luna, especially when rumors began circulating some guards had been overwhelmed by a changeling. The battle between Chrysalis and Luna did nothing to ease the tension.

Canterlot already looked the war zone. There was a nervous tension in the city as well as the castle. News from the front was nothing but bad. It was already bordering a disaster, but the kingdoms who were able to fight were the ones who had listened to Celestia. Clean up crews were going about their business cleaning up the rubble in front of the cave where Scarheart had emerged. Engineers and geologists were down below checking to see the the integrity of the rock would endanger the castle and city sitting upon it. The garden maze was now a massive hole in the ground.

When he was finally brought from his cell, it was in chains. All four legs were shackled together with chain links leading to an iron band around his waist. It was very heavy, almost a hundred pounds. Once again, Luna's guards were tasked with escorting him. Why was she suddenly interested in his security? Was Celestia's guard not willing to do it? Was there something else going on?

Silent Wing did not know why. Perhaps because she liked him? He had also noted when he had last spoken to her, his tendency for becoming a hopeless stuttering lump had disappeared. Was it because of the circumstances of the situation? Was it because he was not worried about appearances?

He was allowed to visit his mother for an hour each day. The heavy chains were removed so he could sit with Chrysalis. She had not moved on her own since he had first seen her, but he thought she seemed to have a healthier color to her skin. He hoped this was the case. Silent was pleased to find Luna had arranged for a night light to be kept near her bed. Nopony had offered to sit with the queen, Silent found out in a letter given to him on his first supervised visit. It was waiting for him in a fruit basket set on a table.

He asked her doctor why magic was not used to heal her. Pulling the colt to the opposite side of the curtain where the Queen slept, he began to explain a part of his profession he excelled at. The old stallion was able to properly introduce himself. His name was Doctor Old Bones.

"Healing and magic don't necessarily go hand in hand," he told the colt as he rubbed his chin. It was the same one who had escorted the prince to Chrysalis on the first day. "It can only do so much. For superficial cuts and wounds, we prefer using salves from magic herbs and potions with ingredients we know can safely speed up the healing process. At least you have a substance you can measure and use. It takes an extremely skilled Unicorn - or Alicorn - who can pay attention to minute details and multi task when applying magic for mending cuts or setting broken bones."

"Okay, I follow," Silent nodded, not having a clue about medicine. He could follow magic to some degree, but as he could not use it, there was not point in pouring over spell books save for when helping his sister. Medical journals, however were beyond his reach.

"The queen will always have a scar on her chest now. It required a blend of common methods and magic to take care of the wound and it's already healed nicely. A few more days and you'll just see something like what you have right there," he reached out and tapped Silent Wing's chest scar. Doctor Bones peered at it. "That looks as though somepony half-flanked that," he sniffed professionally.

"So why isn't she awake?"

Doctor Bones took off his glasses and cleaned them with the hem of his coat. "That's up to her. The mind is a both a tough and delicate instrument. She has no brain damage, but psychologically she is damaged. There was magic used on the weapon that pierced her, a sort of poison."

"Poison?"

"It induced the coma. That's my theory, anyway. I've never seen anything like it."

Silent frowned. "But she moved when I spoke to her the first time."

"Look son," Doctor Bones said frankly. "I am no expert on changeling anatomy. Your minds are not like the minds of ponies. There are similarities between our species." He squinted over his glasses at Silent Wing as if for the first time, looking the colt up and down. "Enough for something like you to be running around, at any rate. But I'll venture to guess I've done all I can do within reason. The rest is up to her. We're past the danger. Queen Chrysalis just needs time. The poison was leached out of her. It wasn't a very good one to begin with."

"So you think she'll recover?" Silent asked, daring to hope.

"I would say the prognosis is in her favor at this point. Whoever saved her got to her in time." The doctor glanced up at the clock. "If you'll excuse me, your Highness, I have other patients that need my attention."

Silent offered his hoof. Doctor Bones shook it. "Thanks for everything, doc."

"Oh, believe me it was an adventure for me, son. Good day." He disappeared after giving a final satisfied glance at the curtains concealing Queen Chrysalis.

The colt whispered a quiet, grateful word of thanks to Feidole, his friend who had given his life to give the queen a chance to live. A pang of loss ached at his heart. With a war in its infancy, no doubt there would me more casualties. He wondered how Frakas was holding up. He had to be a mess now that Feidole was...was...

Silent sniffled and wiped his eyes before the tears could begin falling again. He went back to sit with his mother. According to the plain clock on the wall, he still had fifteen minutes of alloted time. He spent that time singing to her in his terrible little singing voice (he regarded it as such), softly pushing out the lullabies she had very rarely sung to him on a whim.

* * *

"All right, let's see the next report," Celestia sighed as she came to a stack of papers she had hoped to avoid. There was a war going on and she was anxious to hear from the General Staff the bad news. It had been nothing but the past six days. Philomena, her pet phoenix was perched on top of her seat having recently recovered from renewing herself.

She was seated at the head of a long oval table in a meeting room, a portion of the library she had set aside so she could let the generals use the main hall as their war room. Her chair was a clever design, with a high padded back and thick armrests, almost like a throne. It was designed to compensate for the loss of use of her lower legs by holding her up with thick cushions. Silken straps padded for comfort were wrapped around her waist in case she started to fall forward.

There were two dozen chairs in addition to hers and each one was occupied by representatives from the civilian aspect of government. They could not be ignored. This was to be a total war. Every pony was going to have to lend a hoof, military and civilian. There was her chief of staff for the military

It was warm and stuffy, she noted, leaning back a little to ask a servent if she would be so kind as to open a few windows. With so many pony bodies

There was a stack of papers containing just about anything a ruler might come across during the day. She always knew before hand what was on the agenda. Politicians knew better than to try and slip something they wanted to push for their lobbyists into the reports. Celestia never raised her voice nor chastised the offender publicly. She would pull them aside when they least expect it and give them one warning and one warning only to not put things before her she did not want to deal with.

The next file was in front of her. She had been looking forward to this. Luna had told her just the day before yesterday and things had moved very quickly since then. Something was driving her sister with an intensity she had not seen since...

She chuckled to herself, dipping her chin as she plucked up the first page before her. "I see we have the ship I want. Good. Were there any problems procuring the vessel?" Celestia dropped the page a little and peered over its top edge at the gathered ponies.

An impossibly skinny Unicorn stallion in a tweed jacket and Burnside beard held up a hoof. "The ship's owners were not very happy when we informed them we were commandeering her for clandestine operations. They have informed me they would file an official complaint with the Skylord."

Another pony piped up. This was an old Earth pony in a gray continental suit with a bad hair piece. "Highness. you realise you essentially pinched a converted cruiser right from under their noses."

Celestia smirked merrily. "If he's going to parade a wolf in sheep's clothing, then of course I'm going to take certain steps. How is her refit going?"

"Rather quickly," grunted a fat Unicorn in a suit a bit snug for him. He didn't seem to mind as he placed a monocle over his left eye and beamed at the princess after sweeping over the table like a territorial bulldog.

This prompted the princess to ask, "Provisions?" She was already going to the next page.

"We're looking at a guaranteed trip of at least three months. After that, they're on their own for restocking food and water and what have you."

"Fair enough. Who is overseeing preparations, again?" She dropped the pages to the desk, trying to remember the name of the captain.

"Captain Gilda, ma'am?"

She found herself looking towards one of her advisers who helped her remember names. "Wasn't that Rainbow Dash's friend from a few years back?" she asked a slight older mare with doe eyes and a bad complexion.

"I believe so."

"How in the world was she able to become captain of an airship?"

There was a rustling of papers as the monocled Unicorn searched for the right page. "Ah, it would appear she went to the Griffon Naval Air Academy. Top marks in her graduation class."

Celestia found the parchment. _Ah, yes, there it was. _ No small feat to earn a command on one of the most magnificent airships in the world. "Where's her service rec - ah, found it!" The princess scanned a blank page randomly selected. Philomena peered down from her perch at her mistress' interest. She ruffled her fiery feathers and began preening. "Independent. Willfull. Considered a lucky captain. I hired her for this little expedition."

The robust Unicorn was lost on that statment. Other ponies were searching through their papers, eyes cast down in front of faces ranging from irritation to minor panic as none could find where the princess was getting them.

Celestia chuckled warmly at her meeting. "My little ponies, please! I jest with you. I did some of my own independent research. What I said was taken directly from various crew members who have served with her in the past. I also questioned those who currently served under her."

"Ma'am," said the continental suit. "Would not Flash Sentry be best suited to command the ship? I thought we had agreed -"

"Broken jaw," Celestia cut in briskly. "Most unfortunate incident." She had a perfectly straight face when she said that. "We'll let Luna handle the rest. Will the minutes please be forwarded to her for when she conducts her nightly duties?" She did not bother to wait for confirmation. Celestia never had to. She had a very good and efficient staff. "What is next?"

"Ah, the dragon, ma'am."

She sighed. "Scarheart?"

"Yes ma'am." said the monocled Ivory Buttons. "The crowing he did the other day caused quite a lot of complaints."

"He only did it that one morning," she reminded him, suffering a small smile for herself. It _was_ funny. "Pinkie Pie had him under control. She felt since the clock tower suffered some damage from the incident, the dragon could make up for it by announcing the raising of the sun for everypony. It was a sweet gesture as well as an apology of sorts."

"Ponies are terrified of this dragon, ma'am!" huffed and puffed the skinny old stallion.

"We have magic enchantments around him to immoblize him if he decides to be playful," she reassured him. "Now that we know what he can do, Luna and I personally keep tabs on him. If he decides to do anything, my sister and I are prepared to deal with it. For now, he has even helped to clean up his mess, has he not?"

"Uh, well. Yes."

"Good. Next thing on the agenda." She turned towards a Unicorn mare in a pale green coat and dark green mane. "Blood drives, Futterheart. How are those going?" More paperwork shuffled on the table. The proper file was found. Celestia perused through it, already knowing what was on there. She knew what was on everything.

The green mare smiled. "We've had so many donors, we've been swamped."

"How are your supplies?"

"We're running a bit low, Princess Celestia." Futterheart was looking a bit worn and haggard.

They all were. To say the past week had been hectic would have been an understatement. Canterlot was already teeming with soldiers, practically bursting at the seams. The entire Third Army was already bunked throughout the city proper. The Seventh Army and elements of the Fifth were bivouacked between Ponyville and Canterlot. Training camps had seeming sprung up overnight. More troops were coming in every day. They numbered in the tens of thousands, as Celestia had followed her gut and bolstered the strength of her military for the past five years. Her reasoning was the turmoil in the Changeling Kingdom, which seemed logical. It was technically not a lie. Grazeland was a stalemate right now as the bulk of the Fifth was currently holding their ground against changeling revolutionaries.

_There's a strange combination of words._

Celestia settled back and sighed, her mind lost in her thoughts. Then she lifted her magenta eyes and swept them over the room. "I am so proud of all of your for the efforts of you and the ponies working under you. Given the circumstances, you have all surpassed my expectations. Flutterheart, you will get your supplies. I promise you that."

The mare smiled and thanked her.

"Anything else?"

"Silent Wing, ma'am?" The monocled old stallion spoke up in his wavering voice. What was his name again?

Celestia knew she was tired, but to momentarily forget the name of the Secretary of Defense? Again, she found herself chuckling at her own slip.

"Princess?" Ivory Buttons was confused.

"Oh, it's not you, Ivory," she assured him. "My apologies. My mind tends to wander as there are many things I have to keep in mind these days."

"Of course. I understand." He flushed a bit, settling back into his seat.

"You were saying about Silent Wing?"

The old stallion rolled his lips, smacking them nervously. "Is he a prisoner of war? You still haven't ruled on that."

"No," she answered firmly. "He is not. He and his mother are to be considered political exiles. He is currently in prison awaiting trial for assaulting half a dozen militia and breaking General Flash Sentry's jaw. I've scheduled his trial for tomorrow afternoon, though the evidence and circumstances are going to make for a rather interesting day."

"You will be presiding, ma'am?" Ivory Buttons was surprised. "Surely you don't have time for something not as important as the war."

"I am quite serious," she announced firmly, "and don't call me Shirley."

There was nervous laughter as the tension seemed to lift a bit.

"Very well then, is there anything else before we adjourn for the day?" she rang out in her musical voice. No answer came. "Again, I thank you all, my little ponies. Your efforts are invaluable to Equestria."

The ponies gathered save for the Secretary of Defense - who would also sit in on the meeting with the Joint Chiefs of Staff - smiled their thanks while bowing politely to the princess before shuffling quietly out of the room. Celestia settle back in her chair and let out a huge sigh before smiling at the old stallion.

"If I may be frank?" Ivory Buttons lifted his muzzle to her.

Celestia gazed at him. "Hmm?"

"You're going to kill yourself at this rate, ma'am. I could have sworn I saw you fade there a few times during the meeting. When was the last time you slept, Princess Celestia?" He raised his brow, clearly showing his concern.

"I usually nap between meetings," she deadpanned.

"Please be serious. Your health is no laughing matter."

She smiled gently at him. "Your concern is noted, old friend. I'll admit, I forgot your name there for a moment, Ivory. Perhaps I _have_ been working too hard."

"There are plenty of good, solid and trustworthy ponies to whom you should delegate some of your power, princess." He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, I spoke out of place."

"I'll think about it, Ivory Buttons," she told him with a hint of steel in her voice. "Let me rest for a bit. I have an hour before the generals come in and try to tell me how to run a war."

He was shaken a little by her tone. "Of course. I meant no harm, ma'am."

She sighed slowly, turning her half closed eyes to him. "Do you have a list of names?"

"I do."

Celestia considered for a moment, her gaze flickering towards the ceiling. "Give it to me at the end of the next meeting, if you please," she gave in, rubbing her tired eyes. "No promises, but it won't hurt to have a look at your suggestions." Those beautiful magenta eyes closed and the princess became as still as a marble statue, breathtaking in her repose.

Ivory Buttons smiled and gathered up his paperwork, leaving the princess to her much needed little nap. As he tip-hoofed out, he pondered how much more taxing this war would be to the immortal Princess Celestia. Was she truly prepared for it? Was she truly ready for the horrors sure to come? Would she be able to stand with her sister, Princess Luna and eventually Princess Cadence against the coming tide of darkness? It was an unstoppable force. There could only be one conclusion to this war if things continued the way they did.

As he passed through the shaft of sunlight and into shadow, Ivory Buttons' eyes flashed golden as a smile played across his face. This would be a marvelous time for lunch.

* * *

Silent Wing was surrounded by his four Night Guards, properly restrained with his leg irons and headed from the hospital back to his cell. One thing he made sure to do was to keep his head high and proud, as Chrysalis would have expected him to. At this point, he was not sure if he was considered and enemy or a friend to Equestria, the former looming largely in his mind. He had formally asked his guards if he could question Frakas to put together the details of the events surrounding his sister's abduction and the consequent assassination attempt on the Queen. He had to explain his reason for the interview, even though the young prince thought it was some sort of invasion of privacy concerning a family matter to a stern-eyed lieutenant.

The request was taken professionally, perfectly neutral and respectful. It would have to wait, as Princess Celestia would be in meetings all day. This meant Luna, if she had the time, would be the one to allow or disallow. There was a very narrow chance Celestia might have time for it, but matters of state had grown to a worldwide matter in short order. Nopony would tell Silent Wing was going on, but the most glaring clues were the troops who were suddenly everywhere. Whispers of war and rumors of battles eventually worked their way to the young colt's perked ears. They always were swiveling, trying to pick up what they could.

A massive shadow fell over him, coming from behind. Silent Wing stopped and stared at it. His guards had also stopped, turning and staring up behind him. The prince did the same.

Scarheart was staring down at him. There were strange chains wrapped around him, mystical and wrought from magic. They were not unlike what Silent Wing was wearing, as limbs were joined to the waist by glowing links of what looked like steel just pulled from a blacksmith's furnace. Another ring was about his throat, a pair of chains hanging from the base of the throat and to the shackles encircling the dragon's wrists.

"Found you!" said the dragon with childlike innocence. Scarheart look enormously pleased with himself. "Always wanted to meet my twin. Father always said it would happen one day and that it would be a great day if that did happen and that's today right now!" His tail thumped the ground, causing a minor local earthquake.

Silent Wing found the dragon's presence to be...familiar. "I feel I should know you," he ventured, looking at his guards. They nervously were staring up at the dragon still, but were prepared if Scarheart decided to fight. "What's with your chains?"

"What's with yours?"

"I hurt ponies. I'm being punished," Silent replied with a shrug and sadness.

Scarheart did the same. "Yeah, me too. Both accounts." He rattled his chains, grinning a lopsided grin as only possible on a dragon's maw. "I can't make magic go away or breathe fire or fly very far now." The dragon suddenly assumed a sad drooping of everything. "Nuts."

The changeling prince caught one of the first things Scarheart had said. "Twins?" He remembered the memory. Silent felt this was true, but how? "How is this possible?"

Scarheart's eyes lowered to his claws. "I don't know." He flinched, his claws going to his head as he hissed and pulled himself away. "It hurts when I try to think about it. I can't say more, please!" He held a claw out to Silent Wing apologetically. "I want to tell you, but Father won't let me. Just know Mother protects you still! Remember!" Scarheart leapt away, his wings beating a few times until he found his spot on the parapet. Once he settled, he turned his back to the colt, turning once to stare with his golden eyes. Then he went back to staring out over the valley.

"What was that about?" Silent Wing wondered aloud.

One of his guards shook his head. "I don't know. His mind's been slipping since he woke up. It just ain't been right, Prince Silent Wing. Neither of the princesses can seem to figure it out."

"He's going crazy?" the colt asked in disbelief.

"Seems so," said another guard. This one was a mare and she shared her companion's sympathy. "Princess Luna thinks his mind's been messed with too many times that there's nothing left for it to hold on to. I know there's a lot of ponies who don't care about that and just want that dragon gone."

Silent furrowed his brow, staring at the dragon. "But he seemed just fine."

"It comes and goes. Didn't you notice how he greeted you?" The Night Guard mare then shook her head. "Enough of this. With all due respect, Prince Silent Wing, you need to be taken to your quarters. This is beyond my knowledge and I certainly do not wish to debate insanity and dragons."

Quietly the changeling did as he was told, giving one last glance at Scarheart. Why did he feel so familiar? Was he his twin as was mentioned in that memory with Princess Celestia? He had not seen her since then and it would be a good question to pose to her. "Is he a victim of Flamespyre as well?" he wondered out loud before facing forward and continuing his walk to his cell. _ How many more are there?_

He passed the time in his cell reading books offered to him by one of members of the Royal Library who had heard of his incarceration. It was then he was also informed of his trail the next day. Would he be allowed to play his father's twisted game? There was a hint this was nothing more than a formality to clear a few things up, but Silent Wing had no idea of what Equestrian justice had for him. He simply had to trust both the princesses. Neither had given him reason to distrust, but his anxiety was beginning to grow. He was starting to doubt as the sixth day since Flamespyre returned entered into evening.

"Time is running out," he said to the wall. The wall did not respond. Silent Wing sighed, fidgeting as he tried to get into the book spread open on the lower bunk while he sat on his rump.

It was an Equestrian history book regarding the origins and salvation of Nightmare Moon. For some reason, it seemed a vaguely familiar tale to the changeling. apparently there was once a pony living on the moon and had stayed there for a hundred thousand years. He checked the book's publishing date. It was less than three years old. The forward promised an in-depth look in one of the most tragic and redeeming accounts of Equestria and included interviews with the ponies who had participated in restoring _Princess Luna..._

Changeling views on Equestrian history were lethargic at best and most certainly dismissive at worst.

"Huh?" Silent Wing blinked and re-read the paragraph. He found himself reading it out loud. "It took a lot of extensive and exhausting research to piece together this dynamic puzzle to not only dig into the reason behind Nightmare Moon's creation, but the emotional neglect even Princess Celestia admitted to unwittingly falling into as she bathed in the glory of the adoration of her subjects. For a thousand years, the Princess of the Sun hated the act she had done to her own sister, but felt she had been left with no other choice than to banish her younger sister to the moon. Every night she would sing a lullaby to her beloved sister, every night she would shed her tears of mournful regret. Once she returned a thousand years later (the events triggering her release it still a matter for debate; the most popular theory is the banishment spell simply wore off a thousand years to the day the princess was banished to the moon), it was the restoration of the Elements of Harmony and their use upon Nightmare Moon which restored Princess Luna to her true form, reuniting her with her sister and Equestria."

The book had been written by Twilight Sparkle. It was over six hundred pages thick.

"By my mother's horn," Silent swore (the regular oath being 'by the Queen's horn'). He never used it before unless he had just discovered something enlightening. "Nightmare Moon is Luna?"

"Was," corrected a voice on the other side of his bars. There was a hint of sad acceptance behind the single word.

Swiveling his neck, the colt craned to see Luna observing him, bemused. Next to her was Frakas and his own apprehensive face. "My prince!" called out the changeling.

The prince rose to his hooves and went to the bars of his cage. "A little early for you, isn't it, Princess Luna?" he asked her as he tried to give Frakas a hoof bump through the bars. Frakas hesitated, but imitated the motion. The changeling soldier seemed uncomfortable.

"Celestia is tired. I made her go to bed early and assumed a few more of her duties," replied the dark Alicorn dismissively.

Silent could have sworn he heard worry in her voice.

"I take it you wished to question this changeling in regards to the attempt at your mother's life?" She opened the door with her magic, the indigo glow a brief flicker. "Go on in, good Frakas," Luna told the little changeling colt. "I have little time to spare as I must soon set the sun and raise the moon."

Silent could sense her not-very-gentle urgency. "I'll keep it quick," he promised.

She said nothing, indicating for him to get on with it.

The prince nodded, shifting his focus to his friend. "Tell me everything, Frakas. Who tried to kill my mother?"

"It was Captain Myzanum, Silent," grated Frakas with sudden anger. "That gelded mother bucker did it and I could do nothing to stop it!" Pools began to form in his sapphire blue eyes. "There were just too many Ruby changelings for either me or Feidole to get to her in time. She was tired and had almost no magic to defend herself with. Myzanum cut her down like she was a foal. Then he had the nerve to say he loved her. The bastard! Then he disappeared."

Silent reeled after hearing Frakas rattle off his account. "Myzanum?" he stammered the name. "Her captain?" Why him? He was one of the most honorable warriors he had ever known. His dislike for the prince was never a secret, but there had always been some measure of respect. _Why?_

"I don't know why," said Frakas. Silent realized he had also spoken his query. "I went for help after the Rubies left. When I came back, Feidole h-h-had used his own life and love to keep the Queen alive. She was crying when I came back. Crying and holding my brother."

_So the coma _was _mentally induced..._

Frakas continued, staring at the floor now wet with his tears. "She went still when we got to her, still bleeding but alive. I thought she was dead, but one of the ponies I brought with me said she was still alive after checking her pulse. They bound her up as best they could and brought her to Ponyville. I failed her. I failed...you."

Luna was a display of sympathy.

Reaching a hoof around his oldest and dearest friend, the prince embraced him emotionally. "Dammit, Frakas, it is not your fault," he whispered harshly into his ear. "If I had been there, it wouldn't have made a difference!" _Or would it have? _"What happened to the Crown Princess. Was she there?" He pulled back and placed his hooves on the changeling's shoulders. "Did you see her?" Silent shook him roughly to break through the pity.

Frakas nodded, his ears perking up. "Yeah, there was this white Unicorn with a mane like yours, but without the black stripe."

Silent already found the name before his friend could speak it.

_"Draccaria." _The word was hissed with more venom than Silent Wing had ever spat.

He peeled away from the dark form and towards the wall at the far end of the cell. Slowly, he rested his forehead against the thick stone wall and spent a few moments just bouncing lightly off it. Then he drew back his right hoof, cocked it, then punched the stone as hard as he could.

_"Draccaria!"_

Closing his eyes, he held his hoof there, against the wall, his head still pressed upon the stone. He felt how cool it was, how uncaring. How indifferent.

_You must first master yourself._

"One step at a time," he told himself, pushing away and turning on a heel. Taking in a deep breath, he opened his eyes and exhaled slowly, aware two pairs of eyes were reading him from different perspectives. "Two things," he said to Frakas and Luna. "First of all, Frakas, I absolve you of all responsibilities if you promise to remain - with the permission of the princess here - by the Queen's side at all times. As of now, she has no reliable guards to protect her. Prove yourself to me and to her by taking this responsibility."

Frakas drew himself up to attention. "I won't fail again, my Prince!"

Satisfied, Silent nodded and shifted his attention to the Alicorn. She was unreadable, beautiful, perfection incarnate. The prince caught himself staring and shook his mane, flicking his ears irritably at himself. "Secondly," he stated stiffly, "My trail is tomorrow, isn't it?"

Luna arched a brow at him dubiously. "What of it?"

"Will I be able to make a public statement before the court?"

The Alicorn considered his query for a moment. "Defendants are allowed to do so, if my memory is correct," she replied with a short bob of her head. "I will also allow your friend Frakas here to be at the side of Queen Chrysalis' side. Perhaps she would enjoy his company."

"Thank you to both answers." Silent was pondering something else, staring up at the ceiling as his ears went flat, grinding his teeth from side to side until they stopped, slight askew with his lips pursed forward in a pucker. "I'm technically Regent, aren't I?" he asked, lowering his chin to his chest, his eyes going to slits. The prince came up, regarding Luna for an answer expectantly.

"In exile, yes," she replied after a moment. "I can have someone look into that. I am curious to know now that you have spoken of it."

"Regent Silent Wing?" Frakas asked, having recovered now that he was given a duty to focus on. "I think Tartarus just froze over."

"What does that have to do with your trial? You are up to something." Luna tilted her neck to an angle, shifting her shoulders and regarding him in a new light. "What is it?"

"Not every changeling is going to fight for the other side," he said, having had several days to think this through. "I would like to propose all changelings who are against this false regime in my home to join under Equestria's banner. Let the world know not all changelings are on the dark side of this war."

"I'd like to kick some flank," muttered Frakas, nodding eagerly. "I want Myzanum's head on a pike. I'm always with you, Silent. Lead and I'll follow. I'd even hold your cloak for you while you tear down the Gates of Tartarus."

"One more thing," Silent said, not wanting to get carried away. "Just to be perfectly clear. As soon as the Queen is well enough to resume the throne, it's hers. I don't want this responsibility. I've never wanted it."

"But your changelings need somepony to look up to," Luna finished for him. "Who better to lead in a fight against impossible odds than one who has faced impossible odds his whole life?" She was completely in agreement on this. "I shall pass this on to my sister. I think she will be as pleased as I am to hear of this plan."

She cleared her throat. Frakas turned and saw her indicating with her chin for him to get out of the cell. "There is nothing else to do here today. Come, changeling. You have a queen to stand vigil over."

Reluctantly he rose to his hooves. "I'm ready. Silent?" Frakas did a quarter turn towards his prince. "I won't let you down. I promise."

"Do you need anything while I am here, Prince Silent Wing?" Luna asked curtly. She was loathe to leave, but her duties beckoned.

He tapped the book he had started to read before she had come up. "Have you read this book yet?" Silent asked her bluntly.

She paused for a moment, then told Frakas, "Go to the end of the hall and wait for me there. I shan't be long."

The changeling looked at her, then at Silent, then back at her. "Of course!" he chirped a little too cheerfully for her tastes. He trotted off, hiding a grin.

"Now," she said as she stepped into the cell. "Anything written by Princess Twilight Sparkle will be factual, precise, and extremely detailed. The book is very accurate and truthful. She came to me first when she decided she wanted to write it. I thought it would be a good way to exorcise my own inner demons."

"Did it?" he asked her, oddly not feeling nervous.

Until she pulled herself right in front of him. Luna leaned forward and over, her eyes lingering on the book as she picked it up with her magic. Holding it before her, she flipped through a few pages, ignoring the words and the pictures within. Gently she closed the tome, turned it over and ran a hoof over its spine. "Most of them," she answered with a whisper. Her cyan eyes found his chest scar. "What about you? Your own demons you knew nothing of seem to be sprouting all around you."

Silent swallowed hard, not able to meet her gaze. "If feels like it," he sighed as his voice wavered. "I don't know if what I'm doing is a bluff or the real thing or if it's just going to drive me insane."

He heard her chuckling softly. "Oh, insanity was once my bedfellow. I allowed mine to overcome me in a pit of despair of my own making." Her hoof went to his chin and she lifted his head. Their eyes locked. "If I can, I shall do everything in my power to prevent you from falling into that unhappy abyss."

Silent heard something squeak.

Luna laughed, leaned down and forward, and kissed him softly on the lips.

Then she was gone, a mist in the darkness, leaving Silent alone to hear the clang of his cell door swinging shut and locking.

He stared at the book, her kiss lingering. Then he stared at his cell door.

"Irony. I get it," he said to the emptiness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Dost Thou Love?**

_Yes, Mother. I can see you are flawed. You have not hidden it. That is your greatest gift to me._  
_~Alice Walker_

Queen Chrysalis never wanted to die. She never wanted Captain Myzanum to betray her. Why, she never thought he would attack her, break through her magic defenses, and plunge his spear into her chest. She felt pain the likes of which was not exactly what she expected. She watched with morbid fascination Myzanum jerk back on the spear, its head making a sickening squelch. Everything felt oddly numb. The blade had a numbing poison on it. So the pain she felt was dull, almost an out of body experience.

Chrysalis was disappointed, she found. She had expected...more from her impending death. The Captain of her Royal Guard was her murderer, yet he caught her with his magic, cradling her like a lover in the most tender of embraces.

_"Because I loved you. But I lost my soul to a demon and I must serve her. I am sorry."_

The ungrateful sot had the nerve to touch her in that way. If her body had not been stiffened, if she had not felt her life leaving her body, if she had but one last wish in her thoughts at that moment, it would be to tear than condescending son of a bitch's head off. Chrysalis was beyond enraged, but she could do nothing.

_"The queen is defeated."_

How dare he not say it to her face! How dare that gelding turn his back on her! How dare...

_Dying?_ Her life was spilling out on the ground and she could do nothing to stop it. So this was what it was like to die. There was a familiar face now, a changeling's. Feidole! Why was he looking at her like that? She forced herself from the slow dark haze overtaking her vision, focusing enough to speak out, "I hereby relinquish the crown to my daughter, Crown Princess Ata-lan-t-t-ta." She fought hard to uphold tradition. "All o-o-of my memories are n-n-now hers!" Her voice sounded so distant and tinny._ How strange!_

_"Feed on me, my queen! My love, my life for the Queen! Let me uphold my oath, I beg you! I failed you once, do not let me fail you again!"_

Why did the little idiot have to do that? She reflexively fed off one of her own kind, her instinct to survive kicking into overdrive. He induced her fangs, the taste of his blood on her tongue awakening the predator within. She drank, feeding off his love, its magic staunching the flow of blood. He locked eyes with her, his hooves around her neck as he used every ounce of his strength to the end to stay. As the light faded from his eyes, Chrysalis saw happiness in them. There was no regret.

_She wept for him and hated herself._

Then there was another changeling looking down at her, yelling, crying. She could not hear him as the dark mist pulled at her. This evening had been so tiring! First there was that failure of a battle with Luna. That worked out rather well, Chrysalis noted sourly as she reflected. Luna promised to look after her son, didn't she? Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all. Chrysalis had seen a hint of ruthlessness behind those eyes belonging to the Princess of the Moon. Then there was Draccaria. Meeting her had been rather anticlimactic. The daughter of Flamespyre simply plucked Ata from her mother's arms with little more than a wink and a blink. Such a cheeky mare, no dragon. Chrysalis paused in her remuneration, realizing she might not be able to pay back everything in full. She so wanted to sleep! The darkness covered her like a warm blanket and she knew no more.

Drifting now, she had not idea where she was. Everything was weightless, there was no pain. Was she cold? Or was she warm? Interesting, she thought with indifference. Everything felt fuzzy, looked fuzzy, seeming as though there was a thick black gauze over her eyes. It was actually quite pleasant. She didn't have to worry about anything. But something felt missing. Something felt wrong.

_"Momma? I'm here."_

_Silent?_ The baby she wished she had carried. The baby she wished she could claim to be Atalanta's older brother by sharing the same blood. Chrysalis could have sworn she heard him call out to her. It was as though she could smell him! She searched desperately for Silent, but her body refused to answer. Her eyes refused to open, to focus, to seek. She tried to cry out, but her voice failed her.

Then Luna was there. Standing before the Queen of the Changelings with neither an attempt to be superior nor to defer, but as an equal. Chrysalis found the Alicorn appearing out of nothingness, a shape slowly taking form until it was full and vibrant and beautiful. The two regarded each other for a while, neither mare challenging the other.

Luna spoke first, though her lips never moved. "Love thee thy son, o Queen?"

Chrysalis knew the answer, wondered what sort of a silly question was being asked of her. But she understood the reason behind the question. It had nothing to do with her being a changeling. Luna was questioning the Changeling Queen's capabilities as a mother. "Why do you care, Daughter of the Dream?"

The Alicorn shifted, tilting her head to one side. Her brilliant cosmic mane enveloped the both of them. Suddenly they were walking the rings of a vast blue planet bearing white and green stripes. Particles of ice crunched soundlessly beneath their hooves. Chrysalis found she could move. She found she was strolling with the princess, two tiny specs in the vastness of forever. It was breathtaking.

"Verily did he task me to look upon thee from within thy dreams." Luna stepped around a rather large chunk of ice floating its way between them.

"Ah, yes. He would." Chrysalis paused to stare at the icy boulder that had just split them. How strange she could move out of its way so easily! It had to have been as large as a mountain. She found herself skipping along, feeling free. Chrysalis laughed like a filly in a field of flowers, her mane bouncing everywhere and her tail fluttering behind her with life. "This is incredible!" she cried, finally understanding the splendor for what it was.

"Dost thou love thy son, Queen Chrysalis?" Luna asked, serious as a goddess. "Prithee dark and brooding monarch, why hast thou such merriment in thy step?"

It never occurred to Chrysalis the archaic speech would have irritated her - should have - but she found it almost endearing, if even amusing. "What privilege have you earned for the right to the answer, Alicorn?" she baited, teased with mischief in her eyes. Why was she so giddy? "How can I answer such a profound question when I have this...sensation around me? What is this?"

"Perhaps this is but an epiphany of thine soul. Knowest not I if changelings even had such a precious thing." The Alicorn ventured her thought carefully, unsure herself if this was indeed what she was experiencing from Chrysalis. It was her dream, after all. Then it occurred to her this was how Chrysalis saw her. The stars, the planets, the darkness of space.

The emptiness.

No. This was how the queen saw herself? Or was it how she saw the both of them? There was so much to see here. Chrysalis had discovered so little of herself, Luna reasoned as she drifted her gaze to her surroundings without missing a step. She had expected a forest or a desert from the queen's perspective, but this was completely different.

Unless she was accommodating for her guest.

She shifted her tactics, entranced by seeing this side of Queen Chrysalis. She wanted to probe more, but she was also afraid of going too far and seeing something she should not. "What of thy daughter?"

"Atalanta? Yes. Dear, sweet child. Already by far a better princess than I at her age." Chrysalis paused in her trot, turning to face the Alicorn with wonder. Happy bliss flashed across her dark face, her eyes going alight. "She shall make a fine queen, I think. Perhaps I should simply stand aside and let her do better than what I had dreamed of doing. What say you, Alicorn of the Night?"

Luna stepped sideways, her hooves dancing through the ice with the effort of a hummingbird. She lifted her mane up, then dropped it about her slender frame like falling stars. No, this was not working either. The princess considered another option. This new one pleased her and she offered it as a mental sidestep and another means to have her curiosity sated. "Perchance wouldst thou desire to see into the dreams of Silent Wing?" She cast it out before the queen, hoping.

Chrysalis stopped dancing, frozen upon her icy road. Luna approached with regal authority laced with gentle encouragement. Slowly the long floppy ears turned towards the Alicorn, her eyes round with intrigue, nostrils flared as she sensed the possibilities. With delight and a foal's exuberance, she came before Luna with a wide smile. "I should like that very much!" she cried. "Is such a thing possible?"

"In a dream, all things are possible, o Queen."

The planets and stars and rings disappeared, faded as the Alicorn's mane enshrouded the two of them. Both mares flickered into a landscape Luna had seen one other time. The desolate landscape was there, the pitted ground of craters of all sizes, the shattered mountains. Again, there were those roiling gray clouds, inky and filled with lightning.

"I don't like this place," Chrysalis said first thing when she had a first look. She tossed her head in disgust, stomping a hoof with her long, slender leg pitted with the holes going completely through it. "This is a hideous place, _Dreamwrecke_r." She pouted at Luna. The luster was fading from her eyes at the sight of this gloomy place.

"This is thy son's dream." Luna's reply was simple, to the point. She was using her lips now to speak, sighing for the first time in this dream. "Come, I shall take thee to him if that is thy desire." Expectantly she waited for the dark monarch to make up her mind.

Concern shaded the queen's visage, her lips set in a straight and determined line. "Lead on. I should wish to know why Silent Wing dwells in such a dream."

"A warning to thee," Luna told her with an unmistakable growl. "He will not be able to see thy face nor sense thy presence. There is darkness within. Beware!"

"Lead on," the Queen repeated.

Their hooves squelched through the mud, up and down hills and through blasted out craters. Luna showed the place where a familiar foal cried for his dead mother. Chrysalis saw this and knew this was a memory from before he came to her life. Immediately she was angered at seeing such neglect. She started forward, wanting to scoop up her little morsel and cuddle him, tell him everything would be all right, and smother him with affection.

Luna held her back. "Thou canst not," she said sadly, with a shake of her beautiful head.

Chrysalis felt the strength flee from her legs. She sat back on her haunches, mud splattering everywhere. Her shoulders sagged as it began to rain heavily at the snap of a thought. She stretched her neck out towards the little pale foal in the bottom of a crater sitting in a puddle of mud. The queen stared, her heart aching, wanting to go, feeling needed.

Luna held her with mere words. Words she knew to be a maybe. Dreams were strange places to tread especially when they belonged to somepony else.

Then Flamespyre came, vast and terrible. A nightmare among nightmares and a bastard of a father. Chrysalis rose in anger when she could see him fully, at first wondering what the dark thing in the fog approaching was while at the same time guessing correctly the only thing it could be.

"She's dead, my son. She failed me. All have failed me, save for my chosen." The voice rumbled with unexpected gentleness. "She cannot prevent me from altering you now. All I need from you is there, I simply need to give you something...sturdier to have as a vessel."

Chrysalis charged with a savage growl when the black claw reached for her little morsel. Luna did not bother to stop her. It disappeared as it did before, along with the foal. Chrysalis skidded to a stop, her tail sopping up the mud as she slid on her rump, her expression switching from rage to startled confusion. "What?" Her muzzle darted about wildly as she sought out both her enemy and her son. "Damnation to this accursed dream!" she screamed, spinning on slippery mud towards Luna.

"I did warn thee," Luna reminded her with amusement. "Observe." She lifted a hoof and swept it up the side of the crater to a pale form with a red mane. "Thy son witnesses this every night in his dreams. Follow therin within his wake and listen with thine ears the words giving chase."

The queen perked up at this, her eyes falling upon and focusing on the wet little figure trundling slowly towards a destination unknown to her. She ignored the fact her own coat was sodden with mud and brambles were now in her mane and tail. Rising up slowly, carefully she found the ground would support her if she moved carefully. Forward she plunged, again ignoring the words of the Mistress of Dreams to go to her colt.

Her shock was apparent when at first, he did not seem to see her. She called out to him. Silent did not seem to hear her voice. Finally, she placed herself in his path, asking him what was wrong. The colt passed right through her.

Luna was at her side. "Come, Queen of the Changelings. Perhaps thou wouldst be better served to heed my instructions for the forseeable future? Let us go anon behind this child."

"Is this every night for him?" Chrysalis asked, trembling, biting her lower lip. Pleading eyes implored up to Luna, helpless in the knowledge there was nothing she could do.

"Nay, gentle mother, there is not." Luna went after Silent Wing, not waiting for the shocked queen once again finding herself sitting in the mud. "I myself seeing myself within his heart." She did not look behind to see if Chrysalis was following. "These dreams unseen by thy child's memory upon awakening unto the day anew."  
"You do?" Again she was scrambling to her hooves, giving chase. Mud was flung everywhere, most of it covering her underbelly, legs, and chest. "They're not? Make sense, damn it! And don't call me a 'gentle mother'. It feels...inappropriate."

"Answer mine questions and I shall answer thine," said Luna at the top of the crater, finally looking back at the queen panting her way up to her. She grinned. "Shall I compare thee to a bear sow?"

"Queen Chrysalis, if you please, Princess Proper."

"Thy son shares thy pertness," Luna observed with her first smile. "Dost thou love him?"

Chrysalis gave a pregnant pause as she stared at the Princess of the Moon. "Do you know how complicated that question is? Do you understand how loaded it is?"  
"'Tis but a simple question."

"Do you love him?" Chrysalis challenged archly and with a snort.

The two mares stared at each other. With a face carved of stone, Luna turned away and continued after the fading colt. "Tarry not, Queen of the Changelings."  
Chrysalis grinned as she followed after her. It began to fade when she heard the whispers annoy her ears. The closer she drew to Silent Wing, the louder they became. Her smile was gone when she was opposite Luna from her colt, watching the tears streaming down his face as he endured. Her blood ran cold at the next figure to stop her child.

It was herself. Correction, it was her former self. She was berating the colt, mocking him, making light of his feelings. "If you cannot learn to ignore mere words, then perhaps you ware weaker than I thought. Get out of my sight and do not bother me with such trifles!" Only, those were words she had actually spoken one time, years ago, when he was a small, defenseless little thing. Grief and guilt plunged her heart and a lump formed in her throat. She shattered when Silent Wing reeled from an unseen blow. He reached for the fading form of his mother weakly. The last thing Chrysalis saw were her own eyes glaring with contempt at this little creature who looked up to her with hope and affection. There was small consolation when the regret shone in them before fading into nothing.

The queen shuddered. "Let me go to him," she pleaded in a raw voice. "You're able to do that, aren't you?"

Silent was curling up in a small ball and began to weep, broken at last.

"I cannot," Luna said softly.

Chrysalis stared at her in disbelief. "I don't bucking believe you," she said flatly. Stepping gingerly around the colt - her colt - she bore down upon the Alicorn with a rage she had not felt since...since...

"Answer mine question," Luna commanded with unruffled calm. "Dost thou love thy son?"

I'm here, brother! Please don't cry! I need you. Please, Silent, don't be sad.

Atalanta had appeared, almost a picture perfect copy of her mother, a tiny little bundle of love and sweetness who practically flung herself at the only colt she had ever believed to be her brother. She embraced him in her little hooves, weeping for him. She started singing to him, a song Chrysalis had sung to both infrequently when they were small.

Everything faded and there was nothing. Chrysalis found herself floating alone in darkness. The queen wanted to cry, but her body, her everything did not want to respond, save her mind. It felt sick now. She felt sick. She was so very sickened. Chrysalis fought hard to simply shriek her anger, her rage. She wanted to scream at herself for neglecting him. The queen wanted to destroy hers-

"Thou art wrong to think this way. So very wrong. Thou hast surpassed thyself by learning how to love, by learning what love is. Thou hast given me the answer I already knew, o Queen of the Changelings." Luna's voice was in her ears, her heart, her mind. The sensation of soft feathery wings enfolding the queen in a gentley embrace chased everything away. "Never forget thy bond with thy child as I forgot my bond with mine sister so long ago."

And she was gone.

Chrysalis began to think, trying to sense her world. She struggled to move forward. She fought to be in the present. She warred to be back among the living. It took her forever, every movement was met with severe resistance. It was the poison, she realized. What kind of poison? Bah! It did not matter. Determined to win, there could be no more setbacks. There would be no more failures. There were those who had dared try to destroy Queen Chrysalis, monarch of the Emerald Changeling Kingdom and the most powerful changeling ever to walk the earth. They would pay. They would pay dearly indeed.

* * *

Silent Wing was given the dignity of not having to wear his chains this morning. He was allowed to clean himself, preening his feathers and making sure his primary feathers appeared immaculate. His mane and tail were liberally brushed and cleaned, his coat given proper attention (more so than he was inclined to give it). He avoided wearing his uniform as he thought it would sent the wrong message to the audience. Instead, he chose to go sans clothing save for the necklace his sister had given him on his birthday some months ago. Silent Wing intended to look just like a pony without hiding his changeling heritage.

Mentally prepared and focused, he was escorted to the throne room where he would be judged before ponies for crimes against ponies. He would accept the charges, of course. He had done harm to under trained civilians pretending to be soldiers (his private thoughts as they were simply terrible fighters in his opinion). There had been consideration in using those very words, but he was still debating that as he was escorted to a small podium off to the side of the throne.

It was a rather tall looking thing, he thought, three long and deep steps to a throne of gold with red cushions. A carpet led from the main double doors all the way across the room and up those steps to the throne. Princess Celestia was already there, offering him a smile and a good morning even though there must have been three hundred ponies crammed into the place. Nervously he reciprocated the salutations. He knew she would be fair, but would her ponies be?

He was grateful he had chosen not to wear the crown of Queen Chrysalis (he had tried it on and wondered how in blazes the silly thing managed to stay on her head). It would have looked ridiculous anyways. Instead, he had it on a cushion to be brought with him so everypony knew he was now regent. It was significant her crown lay on a velvet black cushion to let others know he expected her to resume her throne. How well that would go over remained to be seen. Silent Wing did not know anything about his prosecutor.

Hoof over hoof, this had been going on for what felt like a lifetime. Something drove her through the darkness, pulled at her. Something she was aware of and needed. "We need you."

Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy were there, along with their families. Pinkie seemed happy to see him, as she vaulted over the partition separating the ponies from the trail floor and engulfed him in a huge hug. After prying her off with the help of some guards, Silent Wing thanked her and continued red faced to the podium he was directed to. The other members of the Mane Six regarded him generally in what he would assume to be a positive neutral (whatever that was). Rarity and Applejack threw him weak smiles (they were still seeing the raging Pegasus changeling colt with the murderous eyes in their minds). Rainbow Dash had heard from those two what had happened and was staring incredulously, almost accusatory since she wasn't there to see something so brutally cool (she was actually unsure if it was something she would really want to see) and Fluttershy shrank behind one of her friends when she percieved eye contact with him (which was on par for her).

Master Tseng Tzu awaited him at his podium, holding out a claw expectantly as he was eager to greet his pupil. "I sense a change in you, my student," he said as the colt's hoof found his claw. "Much more calm. Truth be told, your aura is good today. Still a long way to go, but you are pointed in the right direction."

"One step at a time," Silent said to him.

The blind old teacher smiled and nodded with approval.

He set his mother's crown on a small table next to his podium for all the ponies to see. The whispers and tittering he could make out were not exactly what he had hoped for. In fact, it was completely opposite

"Is she dead?"

"He's now the king!"

"Do changelings even have kings?"

"Oh, thank Celestia, she's dead!"

"How did she keep that thing on her head, anyways?"

"This calls for a celebration!"

"Dead! Justice at last!"

* * *

_Something barred her way. A phantom? No matter! It tried to reach for her from behind as she passed it, tendrils of darkness trying to pull her back into the abyss behind her. Her mind attacked the thing mercilessly, lashing at the formless thing until it gave way. "There is too much to be done!"_

* * *

Silent Wing felt himself go flush with anger. He nearly snapped, but felt a claw on his shoulder. Tseng Tzu whispered into his ear, "Suffer not the words of the fools who assume, my student."

"My ponies!" rang out Celestia in her lovely voice. "I am pleased to announce the Regent of the Changeling Kingdom brings news of a speedy recovery for Queen Chrysalis. Let us all extend goodwill towards a son who only wishes to see his mother restored to him." Well, having an Alicorn stand up for Chrysalis probably made severl jaws drop to the floor. Of course, she said that only to remind her ponies in her own way to be nice.

There were a lot of suddenly shame faced ponies in the room. She banged a gavel upon a small table set next to her for the singular purpose for which she used it now.

* * *

_There was the feeling of exertion, exhaustion, but there was no sweat. The thing reformed, taking a more definitive shape. "Where do you think you are going, Chrysalis?"_  
_ Familiar voice. Evil. Mocking her. Chrysalis snarled, paused, annoyed at this intrusion. Flamespyre. She became afraid, coming to a stop._

* * *

"We are gathered here to pass judgement over Regent Silent Wing of the Changeling Kingdom for assaults upon no more than eight ponies. All the accusers have been gathered here today against the accused. With the accusers please stand?" Celestia regarded her left side of the room. Eight ponies strode forward a step, turning their heads with varying expressions at the regent.

"Will the accused please stand?" she called, turning to her right where a single pale vision of sunrise through thick fog greeted her.

* * *

_She grit her teeth. flaring her fangs, ears laid back as she hissed at the shade of the red-eyed dragon. "You have no power over me, you one-eyed deathmonger."_  
_ Flamespyre grew closer, more ominous. "Then stop me, bug."_

_ Chrysalis shrieked, charged, her magic swelling up within her and crackling to life in the tip of her horn._

_ The other voice called to her, repeating, "We need you."_

* * *

"How do you plead, Silent Wing?"

The young changeling paused, casting a soft look for each of those he harmed. He sighed, breathing in deeply before returning his attention to one of the powers of Equestria.

"Guilty," he announced firmly. "The responsibility is mine."

The throne room became abuzz with voices ranging from shouts of outrage to disbelief. Few had expected honesty from a changeling. Weren't they nothing but deceivers? Wasn't this one seemingly stuck in mid transformation? Maybe the dragon's strange attack a week ago had permanently put him in that odd condition?

Celestia nodded and turned her head down the end of the hall where a figure was entering quietly. "What does the state propose as punishment?" she asked politely.

Luna's voice called out. "Banishment from Equestria for eternity until which time the royal sisters agree the accused has served his punishment in a manner satisfactory to the both of us." She approached with grace, her mane appearing normal and not flaring up with magic with stars dancing within them. Her face was stern, her steps mincing and exaggerated as she lifted her knees and elbows high in the air, her flank turning slightly to one side. The Alicorn's chin was down, touching her throat.

* * *

_They fought, circling each other, slashing and tearing, hurling magic. Chrysalis did not know how she did it, but Flamespyre fell away suddenly, screaming._

_"He needs you. She needs you. They need you. All will fail without you."_

* * *

Tseng Tzu was motionless, saying nothing, never making a movement. He was smiling behind Silent Wing. A slight nod of his head for each of the Alicorns was the only sign of life he offered. Then, he began stroking his long, thin white feathered beard. "Almost."

Silent turned to regard him with an odd look. He was petted on the head.

"Pay attention, student. What goes on before you is far more important than what happens behind."

The colt was shocked to see Luna appear and even more devastated when she declared his sentence she preferred. Why did she kiss him if she was going to send him away? He was so confused! What eye she cast at him was cool, detached. He almost shrank from her, but no, he could not. A promise had been made to his mother he would not look weak in front of the ponies. Shoving the lump growing in his throat down, he assumed a scowl and ignored the dark Alicorn, focusing on Celestia.

* * *

_It was not over yet. Flamespyre came again at her. But it was not the dragon. It was something else. Twilight Sparkle stood before her, the old one, the Unicorn who had thwarted the Queen's efforts so long ago._

_ "You're evil!" she taunted. More appeared next to her, above her, below her, around her, around Chrysalis. "You're evil!" they echoed, some in multiple voices, others in sing-song voices. Others simply screamed it at her, then there were the ones who whispered that dreadful word in her ear from seemingly nowhere._

_ Evil._

_ Irredeemable._

_ A relic of failure._

_ Evil!_

_ "No!" She screamed again, struggled, filling herself with her magic again, flashing out a bubbled, like the one that had hurled her from certain victory. "No!"_  
_ They refused to go away, laughing at her and repeating that horrible, spiteful word. Over and over again. Chrysalis curled up into a ball and whimpered._

* * *

"Does the defendant wish to address his accusers before we speak of the events to which he did do harm to them?" Celestia turned her beautiful and majestic attention upon the brave colt, her tri-colored mane flowing with her power like a sunrise.

Silent Wing turned, faced the ponies and stepped down from his platform. Halfway between where he had been and where they were, he stopped and went to his knees as he would before his queen when presenting himself formally. He bent his forehead to the carpet.

Raising his head, there were tears in his eyes, openly shameful."I apologize. I will not ask for that which I do not deserve."

The room held its collective breath. Ponies loved dramatic effects.

* * *

_The voices bombarded her, tore at her heart. She was breaking, beginning to fall back down into that darkness she had labored so hard to pull herself from._

_ "Do mere words faze the Queen of the Changelings?" a voice asked her in wonder? "I had always thought you to be a pillar of strength."_

_ "A lie," she whispered. "I have always been afraid."_

_ "Of what?" came the question, curious._

_ "Failing. I have failed my changelings. I have failed my children. My daughter is taken, my son is better off with the ponies. I was horrible to him. I can see that now."_

_ "Are you sure? Did you let Luna show you the rest of his dream?"_

_ Her head came up. "There was more?"_

_ Something gentle took her hoof. "Come with me. Let me show you what your son truly thinks of you."_

_ She withdrew, afraid of the possibilities. "No!"_

_ "He loves you unconditionally. I will prove it to you. I will show you what Luna tried to lead you to see."_

_ She followed the unseen speaker, knowing the voice but unable to place it. The Twilights all faded away, their voices gone now. Some stayed, staring at her suspiciously, grinning, waiting for her to fail again. And again. And again._

_ "Go away," she snapped at them, fighting her doubt, trying to trust._

* * *

Silent Wing waited for the words of her accused to decide his fate. He had admitted his guilt. His accusers held his fate in their hooves. The sentence had already been pronounced. They simply had to vote yay or nay with Luna being the tiebreaker. Yes to punish. No to forgive. Yes for vengeance. No for acceptance. Simple.

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"No."

"Mrmph!"

He had closed his eyes, not wanting to see the faces as they answered, nor whom had spoken what. It was almost a clean sweep. Except for Flash Sentry. It was assumed he said something, but it was pretty much moot. The placard now hanging between his lips read in big red letters, _Yes! He broke my jaw!_

The Prince of the Changelings turned to Luna, his face unreadable as he emptied his mind of all emotion, all thoughts, unable to control his fate. He would master himself. This would be but another test, whatever the outcome. Silent would accept it.

"No." Her voice rang like a trumpet of victory.

The words felt good, though he still felt bad for having assaulted those ponies. He secretly had enjoyed cutting loose like that. It had felt disturbingly natural. Silent Wing shuddred to himself.

Judging from the expression on her own face, Luna seemed...predatory? Celestia's eyes had gone wide, then narrowed for a brief moment, settling upon her sister before assuming something bordering irritation and anger. "Silent Wing, Regent of the Changeling Kingdom, your judgement has been passed. You can leave this court a free pony. I release you." She shifted her magenta eyes to Luna. "A word in private with you, please?"

Luna stared at her sister, nodding mutely. She trotted up and over to Celestia, smiling at Silent Wing as if she had a secret to tell him. Both disappeared in the magic of a teleportation spell before the smaller Alicorn had stopped at the top of the throne.

Silent wondered if this was how a mouse felt when a cat stalked it.

* * *

_She found herself alone upon a familiar desolation. Chrysalis went forward towards a lake. There was a large living tree there, strong in a landscape of a shattered world. Trotting faster, she caught three forms in the shade of the tree._

_"This is how he sees you, Chrysalis. Look for yourself."_

_She could see herself lying on her belly, rolled partially on her side with her son curled up against her, sleeping. Atalanta was stretched out over the two of them, napping contentedly. Chrysalis saw the happiness on her own face, the peaceful security she could feel from her children._

_"This is his sanctuary against nightmares," she realized out loud, moving faster until her wings lifted her and half carried her towards the family. Without thinking, she jumped towards her form and into it, assuming the position as that form. When she did, she felt a warmth in her heart she had not felt but two other times in her life; the first time she had laid eyes upon Silent Wing and the first time she held Atalanta. She understood at that moment, everything about her children._

_"I love you both," she whispered. "With all of my being."_

* * *

Frakas heard her stirring and peeked. He had been doing his duty diligently, speaking to his queen, not sure if she was hearing anything. It had been just yesterday he had been assigned this duty. Upon the bed he rested his gaze upon was a monarch observing her surroundings with curious detachment. Her harlequin eyes found him and settled upon his little black form.

"I'm starving," were the first words from her mouth.

They were the most wonderful words Frakas had ever heard in his life.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Chimera**

**An Unexpected Courtship**

"Lulu, what was the next thing we were going to do?" Celestia asked through both hooves covering her face. She was embarrassed. "I have completely forgotten what we were to do next." The Alicorn remembered the look Luna gave Silent. "Strike that. What was that 'Huntress am I' expression? Did you see his face?" Both sisters were in her book-strewn room after teleporting to her balcony a few minutes ago.

Luna, completely confused, asked, "Did you not tell him of what we had discussed?" She ignored the huntress comment.

Celestia rubbed her tired eyes as she flopped on her bed, not wanting to think at that moment. She was so tired. Nothing she did the past week was making her feel very good. It was not as if the work load was overloading her. She just felt so tired. As if she was not getting enough rest. "Tell him about what?" she asked when the question finally registered in her thought process.

"The expedition! You were going to tell him about the ship and the agreement and that I was to go with him on his journey as Flamespyre bade him to do. Do you not remember, Tia?" Luna was concerned. Silent Wing was supposed to have been in on it, announcing he would accept her decisions and welcome her as a traveling companion.

Celestia sat up as best she could, her face registering a slow dawning. Her eyes went wide. "Where has my mind been?" She flopped back, covering her hooves and suddenly feeling sick. "Oh, this one's my fault. I'm so sorry! There's been so much going on and I-I-I forgot! Things have been fuzzy, for lack of a better word."

"I was to show him the fruits of your labors, dear sister," Luna said patiently. She wore a worried frown. Tia was never muddled like this. She was hopping back and forth rapidly on her front hooves as her way of showing she didn't know what to do about it yet.

Suddenly they both felt a familiar but changed magical aura. It was a slowly rising surge of somepony waking up. It was a dark power and one Luna had felt recently.

"Chrysalis is awake," groaned Celestia. "Perfect timing." She nosed her muzzle towards her sister, fixing her with one eye. "You go talk to Silent. I'll deal with Queen Grouchy Flanks. I dropped the ball on this one, I'll admit it freely." Suddenly she was giggling. "I must be getting old, eh Lulu?"

Luna was still upset with her sister, but she relented with a small smile. "All right. Maybe it's not so bad. I did kiss him."

Celestia's head shot up again. "You what? When did this happen?"

"I kissed him, Tia!" Luna giggled despite herself. "In his jail cell. Then I disappeared leaving him locked up. Splendid joke, wouldn't you say?"

The Princess of the Sun groaned and facehoofed. "You are a terrible filly." She could not help but smile behind the concealment. Tia began laughing uproariously, not having laughed this hard in a good long time.

"What?" Luna blinked, again confused.

"He thinks you love him, you silly filly!" The white Alicorn used her magic to sit herself up and glide over towards her vanity mirror. She began to straighten her hair, though the magic within it kept it impeccable.

"But it's your fault -"

"It's both our faults, Lulu and that's a completely different subject and you know it." Celestia noticed her sister had joined her in front of the mirror. She drew a wing out and pulled Luna to her for a hug. "However, you need to decide how you feel about him before you turn him into a quivering mass of confused rage."

"I will," Luna sighed, leaning into Tia. "I feel so foalish right now even if I did not hurt him. Perhaps I should not kiss him unless he is my special pony?" she asked, not sure herself if that was what she wanted. Luna did not know and was not the only pony confused about this relationship.

"Just one question before we go and clean this hiccup up." Celestia's tip of her mane came around and tilted the smaller Alicorn's head up to her. She leaned back and dipped her chin towards Luna with a serious face. "Are you falling in love with him?" It was as if she had read her little sister's mind.

There was a moment of silence between the two sisters. A staring contest of sorts began, but the Princess of the Moon was soon to avert her gaze. "I sense a kindred spirit," Luna confessed slowly. "As for falling in love? I honestly do not know." She fidgeted shyly. "I do like him. He has this adorable little nervous squeak when a mare gets in his personal space!"

"I'm sure," Celestia said with a patronizing grin.

"There's just one thing," Luna paused, tapping a delicate hoof to the tip of her chin. "He is the oldest anything I've ever had interest in."

Celestia had almost forgotten that fact. "Not to mention his family ties."

"I don't think they'd get an invitation to any wedding Silent Wing might have."

* * *

Silent Wing concluded his speech and received thunderous applause. It wasn't a very good speech. It was the first time he had ever addressed an audience by himself. Usually functions requiring him to say a few words were just that. They did see a marvelous unfolding of a pony terrified of speaking to an audience overcome his fear in an almost trance-like state, as if he had reached deep down within himself and found his voice. It helped a quick word of encouragement from the old blind griffon behind him started the transformation. Having Alicorns disappearing suddenly had made him nervous. It was a very brave thing he did, though more than a few pony heads were churning over the most glaring fact of the pony of interest opposing the regent. Were they a couple? The questions tittered softly through the audience.

The newspapers were going to have a field day with this. The tabloids were going to be a completely different animal all together.

His fifteen minute speech ended and he was about to turn and leave when there was a sudden gasp from the audience. A dark blue wing went over his withers and a voice whispered into his ear, "We need to talk." The changeling and the Alicorn disappeared in a puff of magic.

When they reappeared, they were both standing on the observation deck of a familiar airship Silent thought he would never see again. It was empty of any other soul. Luna separated herself from him and trotted in a wide circle, looking at him as she tossed her mane. She stopped and indicated the ship with wide sweeping hooves.

"My sister the Princess Celestia was supposed to have told you of this," she said, her cyan eyes cool and measuring.

Silent Wing was still trying to process the sudden teleportation. The world had gone dizzy and his stomach felt a little queasy right now. His heart threatened to explode from his chest, wings flapped feebly. It took him a moment to find his voice so he could speak. "What is 'this' you speak of, Luna?" Silent managed.

She was only too happy to explain. "You have been given the finest ship in the world. Well, loaned would be the more appropriate term. I trust you have flown upon it before?" Luna leaned to one side trying to pass her excitement on to him. "You will have the finest crew, the finest food, the finest equipment. Celestia and I both worked very hard to get all of this for you in your noble quest to vanquish Flamespyre and save those dear to us. What with the war going on and everything else, she forgot and I neglected to remind her."

"You mean, you listened to me?" Silent Wing had no idea. "I thought you just put it aside since I'm a changeling and you guys don't really think much of us," he said lamely.

"Prince Silent Wing," she told him sternly, fixing him a hard glare. "My niece and her son has been taken as well as your darling little sister the Crown Princess Atalanta by that vile fiend who is your father only in name and nothing else. Of course we took your words seriously. This was the first action taken by Tia." She swept a hoof grandly over the airship. "We leave on the morrow. A farewell dinner was planned this evening, a private affair strictly for friends and family."

Silent Wing was indeed on the decks of the Aurora. The colt found himself wandering around the same observation deck he had moped on over a week ago. He recognized the spot where his sister had finally been able to sustain her hover. Was she flying yet? No, there had been not time. Now she was not...here.

"We're getting them back," he whispered harshly. "All of them. I swear on my life."

Luna assumed the air of command. "I shall stand with you. I would be honored to fight at your side." Even though it was not night time, Luna could still project power even without her mane and tail glittering with those mystical stars within them.

"Well, yes because that was part of the instructions from a dragon who no doubt has a trap waiting for us." Silent sighed and plopped on his rump despondently. "How do we plan for an enemy who knows we're coming?"

"There is time. The sooner we can end him, I am sure we can spare more lives from needless death. I see much of myself in you, Silent Wing. I see the same anger I had, the same frustration, the same fear. I already told you I will not allow you to follow that path I took. It is dark with insanity and loss of what really matters to you." Luna slowly walked over and sat regally next to him as a friend might with another who was troubled. She nudged him with her snout. "Besides, I do like you." Luna flashed a warm little shy smile.

He studied her with apprehension, not sure how to respond to her declaration. Silent was officially terrified. Of what, he had no idea. It had something to do with Luna, he was sure of that! She had to be at least a bazillion years old (his mind was not functioning properly again)! He squeaked at her (as she had hoped. Luna really did adore his squeak).

"I was too sudden, was I not?" her voice fell to a little whisper. "I am sorry. Since my return from my thousand year banishment, I have had trouble still adjusting to life among the living once again. I am still socially..."

"Awkward?" Silent ventured cautiously. "You're an Immortal. You're practically a goddess, or so the book Twilight wrote says. How could you be socially awkward? You probably have stallions falling all over themselves to be seen with you."

Her eyes became sad as she regarded him. "I was younger than you when I succumbed to my dark madness and became Nightmare Moon. My sister and I had spent two years defeating the likes of Discord and then King Sombra of the Crystal Empire. With my dark magic, it became very easy for me to fall victim to my darker emotions. I struggle with them to this day. Because of that fear, I do not want to get close to anypony for fear of harming them."

"Why tell me all of this?" he asked her, tilting his head to one side. "I'm just a foundling raised by Queen Chrysalis. Raised being a subjective term." He added that as he understood his colthood had been an exercise in surviving the intrigues of court politics. Until Ata came along, he had honestly been nothing more than an amusing distraction to Chrysalis. Yet she loved him in her own way. At least she never physically abused him.

Luna shook her head once. "No. You are more than that. You are the son of an Immortal. You may very well be an Immortal yourself. You may not have magic within you, but you have an amazing life force that draws others to you, just like Twilight Sparkle. Your adventure is beginning. Your understanding of what it is to be you begins. I want to be with you to see it happen. I also want you to know about me because I have seen your true self within your dreams." She sighed, scooting forward until their noses almost touched. "It is only fair, I think if we are to be friends we know each other."

Silent Wing paused for a moment, his ears suddenly swiveling about. He straightened, turned towards a familiar sensation he rarely used.

"What is it?" Luna asked when he stood abruptly on his hooves.

"Mother is awake!" he said happily, looking at her with joyful eyes. "I can hear her calling me!"

"You can sense her? Is it the hive mind I've read about?" Luna had become both amused and curious. "Tell me about it, please!"

He paced in a circle, his face anxious as he listened to the call of Queen Chrysalis."Changeling queens can call out to other changelings if they feel the need to summon them mentally. It's not so much a hive mind link as it is an ability only queens possess. Mother is calling all the changelings to her. It's not so strong for me, but its very compelling to a full blooded changeling from the same kingdom."

"So, it is some sort of collective mind of sorts?" Luna asked, not sure if he had answered her question.

He shook his head. "No, that's a common mistake made by non changeling races to assume that. Queens rarely use this ability unless its an emergency." Silent Wing was getting antsy. "I've got to go to her, Luna. She's awake now and she's basically beating her personal war drum. Changelings queens only use it when mobilizing for a war they intend to lead personally."

Luna nodded, interested but stifling an enormous yawn. She blushed when Silent stopped and stared. "My apologies. This is usually my bedtime, what with raising the moon and all of my other nightly duties."

The colt shrugged. "The body knows what it needs. Will you be at the party tonight?"

"Of course."

"I'll see you there, then." He was suddenly awkward again, staring at the wood beneath his hooves. Silent blinked, working his mouth a little, not sure how to end the conversation. It was already over, but he was lingering his thoughts back to what the hay just happened to him.

Luna could see his hesitation and decided to just give him a smile in farewell before she took to wing and departed. Silent Wing also tested his wings, wondering if the right one would bear his weight. There was only one way to find out as Luna had effectively left him to his own devices.

There was only one thought as he lifted off the observation deck of the Aurora.

Luna smells so nice!

Chrysalis finished her fourth love sphere from where she lay in her hospital bed and was already reaching for her fifth. Celestia was trying to get her caught up on recent events, a little green at the gills while watching the changeling queen restore her strength. Frakas stood off to the side, happy as a rewarded puppy while he held the bowl of love spheres. There were three left as the queen took her next meal in her hooves. She made deliberate sucking sounds as she ate, watching the princess out of the corner of her eye.

As she did this, she was abusing her emergency beacon maliciously to simply call Silent Wing to her and nopony else could hear it. It was good to be the Queen.

"So let me get this straight," she said after withdrawing her fangs from the grapefruit sized ball in front of her. "You are going to let my son and a bunch of untrained mares go wandering around the world, sing a few songs, laugh a few laughs, and face off against the living embodiment of war, death and destruction?" The sarcasm spoke for itself.

Celestia did not miss a beat. "In the meantime, I'll be organizing our allies to hold off against his armies of changelings and Mother knows what else he's got. We need to buy them time to get the Harmonies together to use against him."

"But you're a cripple and there may come a point in time when you'll need to move." Chrysalis took another sip, withdrew and licked her lips. She wagged her hoof a little at her old nemesis, focusing on the hind legs. "No offense princess, but that's going to bite you in the flank." Chrysalis arched a brow and added with a sigh, "Not that you'll feel anything when it happens." She peered at the Alicorn, who calmly returned her stare with patience.

"See something interesting?" Celestia asked, lifting her head back a tad.

Chrysalis nodded and resumed her meal. "Yes, I do." Bite and suckle, focus on the quickly draining sphere of sweet, delicious love. This one hinted of cherries and strawberries. The sphere itself deflated like a ball, collapsing in on itself as the queen drank.

"Care to enlighten me?" asked the Alicorn amiably and with a kind smile.

Withdraw. Again lick the lips. Use that magic like it was second nature! Discard empty ball to nearby minion. Select the next one, bring it to the hooves. Roll it in the hooves, look for the sweet spot to bite into. Eyes always on the Alicorn the whole time. "No. I think I'll sit on this and let you figure it out." Bite down. Suckle. Oh! Bananas and strawberries!

Celestia snorted. "At least it would appear your attitude hasn't changed."

"Oh, I'm still a little weak, dear Celestia," Chrysalis had pulled up and was grinning, the juice dripping like blood from her chin. "But it is good to be back and very nice to hear the lovely compliment. Can I call you Tia? It sounds so delightful to say. 'Tia'." She smiled beauteously through the mess on her chin and resumed her meal.

The princess was not going to fall for the antics of the changeling queen. Despite herself, she found she rather enjoyed the verbal sparring with Chrysalis. "You're not so bad when you're trying to take over Canterlot," she observed wryly. "I imagine I shall have to be on my tip hooves around you. Who knows? You might even be scheming to snatch out Equestria from beneath me while this little war is going on. I would not put it past you to see this as an opportunity to try. And no, you may not."

"Sweet Celestia," Chrysalis set her dinner on her stomach demurely, resting one forehoof over the other on top of it in criss-cross fashion. She swiveled her eyes upon the Alicorn and plaintively said, "How exactly am I supposed to take Canterlot with thirty-four changelings, my subjects in open rebellion and myself outnumbered two to one in the princess to queen ratio? And you're mean to not let me call you 'Tia'." She pouted outrageously when Celestia relaxed a bit and even chuckled impishly.

"It didn't stop you before." The princess pointed out.

Silent Wing's voice could be heard as he engaged one of Celestia's guards.

"There he is!" Chrysalis crowed eagerly, turning to his voice. She returned her attention to the princess and answered the question, "No. It didn't." She flared into a fanged smile and finished her meal.

The familiar form of Silent Wing appeared around the corner. His head was up, ears perked, and oddly enough his mane was also sticking straight up, standing on end. The colt's eyes were...glowing.

"Ah, he heard me," Chrysalis said with a giggle. "Loud and clear."

"What's that?" Celestia asked her curiously.

The Queen shrugged. "A leash. As long as he's within a mile, I can call him directly with my mind. It's a perk that comes with being a queen. Malicious abuse of power. Monarchs and lesser rulers should know about that fully and that includes you." She wriggled her brows at Celestia, implying the obvious.

"What are you talking about?" the prince asked as he trotted up to his mother's bedside. His eyes stopped glowing and his mane resumed its normal appearance. Chrysalis hooked him with a hoof and nuzzled affectionately.

"Nothing dear. You look terrible." She pulled him back, tussling his hair. Her nostrils sniffed. Chrysalis grinned slyly. "You smell of princess. It's all over your face."

Celestia coughed uncomfortably and facehoofed. "Oh, Luna," she groaned quietly.

"More importantly, my little morsel," Chrysalis continued, assuming a stern and unhappy expression. "My crown appears to be missing. I'll be taking that back as of yesterday."

Eighty-one changelings arrived under heavy guard that day, each one individually surrendering to Equestrian forces as soon as they made it to Canterlot. Each one made a request to see Prince Silent Wing upon capture, claiming to be from his personal guard. They had moved in small groups, avoiding all contact and knowing other changelings on sight. Stealth was their best weapon as their shape shifting abilities were noted. Celestia granted them amnesty after heavy scrutiny and inspection. Frakas was sent to keep them in order while the prince and his mother debated heavily with Celestia of what this could mean.

Chrysalis was still a bit weak from spending a week in a coma, but her facilities were still well enough for her to want to meet her subjects personally. Celestia wanted to attend, but there was simply too many things going on in the world requiring her immediate attention.

She assigned a mediator, an Earth pony by the name of Flash Memory from the list supplied by Ivory Buttons. Her remarkable gift of remembering complete conversations was a invaluable asset. Memory's cutie mark was a thought bubble over seven lightning bolts. She was a dark brown mare with a tan mane and tail. Her eyes were sparkling green emeralds. Celestia assigned her to be the Queen's personal secretary. A couch was set out for Chrysalis and she and Silent Wing spent the afternoon debriefing their subjects at the same courtyard Silent Wing had presented her with his victory. They were under very heavy guard.

From the information gathered offered some encouragement. Thousands of changeling refugees were seeking safety and they had found a hidden mountain pass, filing through at night and hiding during the day to avoid being seen. Eventually they found their way going around Grazeland and somehow bypassing the stalemate (it had settled into trench warfare, neither side having the advantage).

Chrysalis waved over an Equestrian Pegasus and directed him to inform Princess Celestia immediately. She would be interested in knowing her kingdom had a soft underbelly needing to be guarded. The soldier bowed and zipped off to deliver the message. There was soon a constant stream of messengers going to and from the palace.

Silent Wing suggested a contingent of Equestrian guards led by a few of his changelings go out to meet the refugees, ordering them to weed out possible spies. His boys would know what to look for. Chrysalis seconded the idea and sent another messenger to Celestia, acting under the assumption her orders would not be hindered. Celestia did not, giving the changeling queen remarkable range.

Feeling tired, Chrysalis managed to finish the afternoon with just one yawn, elated to have an army under her, albeit a small one. Even better was the fact they were the cadets who trained with Silent Wing. He did not question their loyalty, but after her experience with Captain Myzanum, she still had her suspicions. Draccaria's influence had been meticulously planned and executed. The Queen had to give the dragon credit; Draccaria had done a magnificent job of snatching the kingdom out from under her with minimal bloodshed.

Still, there was one thing Draccaria owed Chrysalis. Thoughts of Atalanta constantly clouded the good mood she tried to project. She wanted her baby. She intended to move heaven and earth to get Atalanta back.

The farewell dinner was emotional. After Luna had raised the moon, she joined the late meal, greeting Chrysalis coolly. The Queen regarded her with amusement as she sat next to Celestia. Luna assumed her spot opposing her elder sister. Silent Wing sat next to his mother and accepted the warm smile Luna tossed him with a nervous one of his own. He could feel his mother's eyes peel him slowly, her face an unreadable mask. Without a twitch, she winked at him. This made the prince squirm even more.

Flash Sentry was unable to attend, even refusing to once he heard Queen Chrysalis was awake. He still had it in his mind she was somehow responsible for the disappearance of his wife and son. A grudge had begun, what with Silent Wing having done a very nice job of breaking his jaw. As such, the injury ruled him out of the expedition Celestia had originally asked him to act as second in command to Luna.

Blazing Cruise was whispering into his wife's ear when Celestia called him by name over the room. Surprised at hearing his name called, he looked up. Applejack leaned against him, turning her green eyes up to the princess. They were surrounded by their entire brood, including her brother Big MacIntosh.

"What would you say to joining your wife on this little trip?" she asked pleasantly. "I need a pony with a good head on his shoulders. I remember you from the last expedition. As I recall, your group was the only one who gave Rainbow Dash assistance against Scarheart during the storm. Did you not yourself rise up against the dragon?"

"Yes ma'am, I certainly did," he replied, feeling his wife's hooves grip his arm at the elbow tightly. He shifted his attention to Applejack. "It's up to you, wife of mine. I'd rather be with you than wondering if you're safe."

"Well, hubby," she returned, leaning into him. "Ah can't think of no better way to have a second honeymoon. Big Mac can watch the young 'uns. The boys kin pretty much look after themselves as it is. I think I'd be mighty happy to have ya with me."

Big Mac didn't seem to mind. The big red stallion simply gave Red Apple a noogie and a grin thrown at his sister and brother-in-law.

Blazing Cruise flipped a wing affectionately over Applejack and the two shared a quick kiss. They both turned their heads up to Celestia. "I'm in," he said.

Rainbow Dash was busy trying to explain to Lightning Dash why he was not going to go as patiently as she could. She knew she had a colt in front of her with a taste for adventure, but the mare knew this was not going to be fun and games. The cyan colored Pegasus with the prismatic mane comforted him as he cried into her chest in stubborn anger. With the duo was an orange with cerise mane Pegasus mare Silent was introduced to as Scootaloo. She was a Wonderbolt and would fill in for Rainbow Dash while she was gone. Her attitude towards the prince was mild interest, but only because he looked strange. At least she was friendly.

Pinkie Pie and her husband simply cuddled with their daughters, enjoying each other's company in a serene moment made odd as they were all wearing fake glasses with the fake noses and fake mustaches. Pinkie was not looking forward to being away from her family, but she was eager to start new memories with her closest friends. She promised to make sure everypony would smile on the trip as sad ponies made for a sad trip.

Fluttershy wanted to go because her friends were going. She wanted to be there. She stayed near Rainbow Dash, but later went about telling the children of her friends how amazing their mothers were and giving hugs to them. She never had a problem with shyness towards young fillies and colts. She was very sweet and kind towards them.

Rarity and Spike sat together, along with her three adopted daughters. Unique wanted to go, but she was told firmly to stay with her two sisters and look after them. They would be staying with Rarity's younger sister Sweetie Belle, a Unicorn with a lovely singing voice. She even graced the gathering with a few perfectly chosen songs for the occasion.

Of course, there was no doubt either Spike or Rarity would refuse a chance to rescue Twilight Sparkle. Spike had his reservations about Silent Wing. He was, after all the son of who he considered a very dangerous ally for anypony to have. But he regarded Twilight Sparkle as a mother or an older sister in his life and even didn't mind Star Journey despite his bratty attitude.

For Rarity, somepony had to give the group a proper sense of taste. She would never forgive herself if she did not go with the group. As loathe she was to go away from her business, she had been working too hard as of late and the war had effectively killed her business as supplies were redirected towards the needs of the military. So, like any sound business mare with sense, she lent out her business to military designers for uniforms and other equipment. She was making a small fortune almost as lucrative as when she was making her own fashion designs. Essentially, she was being paid to do nothing.

"I'm going, too," announced Queen Chrysalis casually. She swept her emerald harlequin eyes over the party, daring anypony to tell her no. Her announcement could have easily been interpreted as the Breaking of the First Seal.

One pony did openly object to her statement. "No you're not."

Sharply she turned to her right and right into the very calm and pointed expression of Silent Wing, completely unruffled by the snarl come unbidden to her lips. "I beg your pardon, child?" she grated through a fake smile. "But did you just tell me 'no'?"

"Yes, as a matter in fact, I did." He did not waver.

Jaws were hanging open all around the room. Save for Luna. She wore an enormous grin from ear to ear for some reason. Celestia's eyes had gone wide as she already was studying the colt very closely.

Chrysalis closed her mouth and pointed out patiently, "I outrank you. I am more powerful than you. I'm your mother. I don't think you have a say in the matter."

"Those refugees still loyal to you will be needing leadership to guide them. Do you think they came because they want to worship the Sun?" Silent leaned over and apologetically said to Celestia, "No offense, Highness."

"None taken." She smiled.

Chrysalis worked her jaw for a moment as her son returned his attention to her. "But I'm the queen!" she said lamely, already knowing she was not going to win this. Common sense be damned! The Queen pointed at her little black four pronged crown with the turquoise gems surmounting them with a hoof. They had been returned to her earlier that day after spending a better part of the afternoon forgotten in the castle's throne room (it was dusted by the staff, however).

"Exactly," pressed Silent gently taking her hoof into his. "Besides, your magic would best be served here, helping the war, helping Princess Celestia. Somepony's got to show these Equestrians changelings can hold their own on a battlefield and especially when pushed into a corner. I can't think of nopony else than the most powerful and beautiful changeling of them all."

Chrysalis blushed at her adopted son openly, her eyes wide as she stared at him. Slowly she pulled back at him, looking down at his serious face in a new light. "I think they have finally dropped," she murmured, darting her eyes briefly to his nether regions. Recovering quickly, she cleared her throat and turned, placing both hooves on the table on either side of her plate.

Leaning forward, she addressed Luna with a perfectly straight face. "Princess Luna. You have Our permission to court Our son for a possible future engagement."

Her horn glowed and she teleported from the party, her cackling laughter as she cast the spell lingering for a long and awkward moment after she made her departure.

Silent and Luna found they were staring at each other, both several shades of red as their pupils had shrunk to pinpoints in the middle of saucer eyes.

Pinkie Pie broke the stunned silence. "Are we having the courting party before we leave, while we're on the trip, or when we get back?" Her question was loud, innocent, and already hinting she had an idea of what she wanted to do. Her husband quietly put a hoof over her mouth, though he was chuckling at her.

Princess Celestia was not going to be outdone. "Prince Silent Wing," she announced imperiously, her eyes hard magenta diamonds. "If you break my darling little Lulu's heart, I'll send you to the moon."

The congratulations showering the newly betrothed was met with frozen smiles of pure shock from the unexpected turn of events. Silent wondered if the moon could really be that bad at that point in time.

Luna simply wanted to kill her sister. And Chrysalis. In no particular order.

Along with Frakas, Silent Wing was allowed to take eleven other changelings. He placed all of their names on paper in a jar and drew them randomly until he had his little team. They would answer to him. Two dozen Equestrian soldiers, six each of the Earth , Pegasi, and Unicorns were placed under the reinstated Blazing Cruise's command. He was given a commission of Captain. Luna's own personal guard consisted of a dozen of her own Night Guards. The ship's compliment of forty ponies and griffons included Captain Gilda. Rounding out the group was Spike, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and of course, Fluttershy.

Silent Wing knew Master Tseng Tzu would eventually join them, so he set aside a room for the old blind griffon.

Before leaving, the prince met his mother one final time. Queen Chrysalis stood in full regalia gleaming in the morning sun. She regarded him with the look of the queen she was. For this one moment, she was his queen and he was her subject. He knelt before her as the ceremony was strictly private and for family only.

She laid a hoof upon his head and intoned the ancient words of a mother seeing her son off to war. "Return to this house victorious and with honor upon your wings. Be quick with your mind, swift with your stroke, and final in your judgement. If you fall, fall with honor. If you show mercy, let it be with a clean death. May the ancestors watch over you, guide you."

In response, Silent Wing intoned, "In life do we seek Love. In death do we find Love. May the ancestors watch over you. Let my thoughts and my actions decide if I return in victory or fall in defeat."

Tears formed in the eyes of Chrysalis. The ceremony was complete and she became a mother again, drawing her son into a fierce embrace. The feeling from Silent Wing was mutual. Nothing needed to be said.

"I'll get Ata back, Momma," he whispered. "I promise."

"I know," she said. "I expect you to do exactly that, my son."

"Were you serious about Luna last night?" he asked, still buried in Chrysalis' chest.

"Maybe," she said, pulling him back a little and lifting his chin up to meet her gaze. "I think she an unusual match for you. Besides, you seem to react better to her than the other mares I've thrown at you. I'm rather proud you discovered this on your own instead of my meddling." She bent forward and kissed him on the forehead. "Now go! I don't want to cry in front of you."

Before he pulled away completely, Silent Wing noticed her fresh scar on her chest. Lightly he touched it. "I'll give the good captain your regards and send you his head should I come across him," he growled.

Chrysalis gave him a wolfish grin. "I'd like that. I'd like that very much." Upon his snout she bestowed a good luck peck.

The Aurora was released from her moorings, her engines chugging smoothly with her four massive propellers thrumming through the air. Her passengers lined the windows of the promenade, opened them and waved farewell to the family and friends who had come to see them off. There was great fanfare as of course Celestia saw them off after a lovely and inspiring speech.

Silent Wing had his strange map and was holding it before him with Captain Gilda looking at him expectantly.

"Where to, kid?" she asked. She was a tough griffon, having spent her entire adult life on airships.

Dubious to be looking at a kid for directions, she knew the whole thing was supposed to be under wraps in terms of where they were going until the ship was underway. Gilda had been happy to see Rainbow Dash for the first time in years. The two had promised to catch up when there was a free moment. Both had done a lot of growing up.

Silent scrutinized the map. "Show me the lair of Flamespyre," he said to it, remembering the instructions that had come with it. The handwritten note had told him all he had to do was ask what was needed.

The images of the map shifted, shrank, starting with a line from Canterlot and heading west by southwest. It zigged a bit here and zagged a bit there around some mountains and through passes after going over the Everfree. A magical X formed after fifteen breathless seconds.

"We're going there," Silent said with a grin. "I guess."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Topaz Tranquility**

Welcome to the Shimmering Beacon. Located at the end of a vast expanse of desert, this changeling city was one of the oldest in the world, its inhabitants proud of its more than five thousand year history. The changelings had many names for the ancient bastion of their history and their culture. It was remarkably beautiful, constructed of marbled quartz from the outer wall all the way to the spires stretching up into the desert sun. It rivaled Canterlot in its mystique. The Queens taught their new little charges to call their new home Kahsoon. It was a word to mean 'gleaming' or 'shining' in ancient Topazian (each changeling kingdom has their own ancient dialect).

Behind the city lay the vast expanse of another kind of desert; the ocean. Shimmering Beacon was the largest port city on the continent and constantly bustled with cargo ships going in and out of the harbor. It was a great circle of stones constructed by ancient engineers long ago into an extension of the natural harbor, built to shelter ships from the frequent hurricanes during their season from late spring to early autumn. Designed to accommodate over a thousand ships, there was always a line of vessels waiting to come in. Discussions were being made in expanding the current artificial harbor.

The Shimmering City also had the distinction of being a vacation spot for the rich and powerful. It was a living, breathing city, rivaling even Manehatten. But it was on the side of the world completely unknown to Equestria. Here was the heart of Aquilla.

They were going to the beach! The Queens Tappaz and Tappis had promised both Atalanta and Star Journey they would go if they did their lessons and were very good since coming to Kahsoon. They even asked Uncle Scareye if he wanted to go with them, wanting to share this treat with their favorite uncle. The one-eyed Alicorn politely declined, bending to one knee and gathering them both up for hugs and promising to see them before they retired from the beach for the day. There was just one more thing he wanted to see to.

Uncle Scareye kept his promises.

"Come, children," called Tappaz and Tappis in one voice. "Your uncle is a very busy stallion. He will be along as soon as his duties are done. Fret not. He will come, our little darlings!" Each queen soon had her favorite precious in her hooves, liberally assaulting them with affectionate kisses. At any given moment the queens would switch their favorites.

Ah, how they bathed in the love directed at them! This was the best way to feed. Any changeling who suggested otherwise did not know how to live. Atalanta and Star Journey were both picked up and deposited piggyback upon their respective mother's back. Servants had already prepared a spot for them at the beach, reserved strictly for them. Deciding to make it a walk, the two queens strode side by side, nuzzling each other and their new family along the way.

Star Journey had finally mastered his ability to levitate things with his horn, his magic finally focused after such a long a fuzzy time he couldn't remember anymore. It didn't matter. He was happy and had lots and lots of attention from both Tappaz and Tappis. He also had a playmate in Atalanta and they shared learning together and were now inseparable. As they rode on the backs of the Topaz Queens, the colt and filly engaged in a game of patty cake.

The Queens giggled at the silly game, not minding at all as the love they were getting was simply divine. A thousand soldiers awaited them when they went outside, some in the air, some taking pre arranged positions around their Majesties. Two servants bearing great umbrellas to shield the royal queens from the merciless rays of the desert sun greeted them, hovering with practiced ease. They were to not allow one flare of the hot sun touch the beautiful mares and their children.

One of the umbrella bearers fumbled with his and dropped it on accident. It dropped, clattered, and rolled some distance down the steps where the entourage awaited. Tappis and Tappas stopped in mid stride, regarding the changeling as he scrambled after his umbrella. When he clutched it in his grasp, he felt the shadows fall over him. Immediately, still holding on to his duty, he spun and bowed pitifully to his looming queens.

Atalanta and Star Journey stared at him with curiosity.

The servant banged his head repeatedly against the stone, begging forgiveness, his wings fluttering in his fear. Impassively, the queens both began to share a topaz glow to their horns. An invisible force gently plucked him off the ground. The servant's heart could suddenly be heard beating among those gathered. All movement ceased as changeling eyes fixed on the scene, some with horror, others with gleeful expectations.

Another example in the making.

Tappis began to squeeze his neck slowly as Tappaz began to twist one leg. Both maintained impassive indifference, but their eyes began to gleam with cruel pleasure. One leg snapped. Tappis released the pressure on the neck. The changeling screamed in pain. It was repeated for the other leg. Then the other. Then the last. Each time the servant would scream in agony, beg forgiveness and struggle feebly. The queens shifted their grips, Tappaz taking the neck while Tappis put up a shield between them and their victim. Ecstatic smiles and fangs gleamed in the sunlight as they reveled in the pain. Together they shared in the terror, the fear, drinking it in. With a final burst of magic, the servant's head was crushed. All struggles ceased.

Atalanta and Star Journey stared at the corpse with curiosity.

The body was dropped and the queens daintily stepped around the mess. Tappis dropped the gore-streaked magical barrier and everything fell to the ground with little plopping sounds. A new servant was conscripted to carry a new umbrella. The old one was now messy.

"What did we learn -" started Tappaz. Tappis finished, "- from this lesson?"

"There is no room for clumsy fools in your service!" chimed Star Journey.

Not to be outdone, Atalanta's reply was, "One must always pay attention to one's duty!"

Pleased, the Topaz Queens nuzzled their children as a reward just as a new servant with more shade appeared in the place of the previous fellow. A crew was already in the process of cleaning up the mess. Ignoring them, the odd family set for the beach, not at all bothered by the minor inconvenience behind them. The green glows in the eyes of the colt and filly reflected nothing but complete love and adoration for their mothers.

* * *

Twilight Sparkle was surrounded by darkness, a single shaft of white light bathing her battered form. She was battered, having suffered indignities at the hooves - no, claws of Flamespyre. Dry blood caked her coat. Most of her primary feathers had been plucked or cut from her. Her mane had been shorn from her. Worst of all was her broken horn.

Her only thoughts were of her son and how he must be worrying about her. She wished she wasn't in such a sorry state. Twilight Sparkle wept.

"It doesn't have to be like this," whispered Flamesypre from somewhere in the darkness.

The Alicorn raised her head and found herself unharmed. It had been another illusion, another play upon her mind. Another trick. The mind games this monster could play was fathomless. Twilight understood this was her mind, rather the inside of it where the monster toyed with her and worked to break her.

"I have given your son to the Topaz Queens. Tappis, dear sweet Tappis has taken it upon herself to love him as her own. Poor thing. Far more deserving of a mother who will spend time with him, love him, nuture him." She could hear his hoofsteps as he went around her still form, sitting beneath that shaft of light. Her ears followed his voice.

Was this a dream? Was this her mind? She was no longer sure. Sleep seemed to be a memory. Nightmares blended with reality. The familiar black form of the Alicorn stallion remained hidden, though she did catch glimpses of a certain red glow thrown her way. She could not bite at his twisting jab at her. She used her mental discipine, having yet to fall to her own anxieties. Twilight had worked very hard to overcome those panic attacks from her younger days.

"My, my, my, what have we here?" Flamespyre chortled. "Oh this is walk in closet of anxieties you have! Obsessive compulsive. Everything must be organized and re-organized of something is so much as a hair out of place. Certain things must be done at certain times. I'm impressed you've managed to control them. Then again, you are an Alicorn." He chuckled, moving in a clockwise direction and passing in front of Twilight.

"Let me go. Let me have my son," she demanded in a voice with no command.

There was a pause in the echoing steps beyond her field of vision. "Now why would I do that? I have plans for you and for Luna. A new world is coming and there are some things I wish to do. But not without cooperation. Before I tell you what I plan, you will submit to me completely, utterly, and forever. It has come to my attention your kind are endangered. Perhaps I was hasty in deciding to do away with you all."

He was suddenly behind her, breathing over her shoulder.

"So much to do, so little time."

Twilight Sparkle felt utter dread in her heart as she shied from the monster. She could not move as his magic held her firmly in place.

"You are the Element of Magic, yes?" Flamespyre withdrew and resumed his nerve-wracking pacing around her, the sound of his hooves echoing ominously. "Your grasp of the arcane is impressive. Your ability to think critically is sorely lacking in my children."

"What do you want?" Twilight asked tiredly. She so wanted to sleep, but only nightmares awaited her there. Ever since her son had disappeared with those changeling queens, she had been subject to mental torture. Some of the visions had been truly horrible, the worst being seeing the dead foals all around her while Celestia wept helplessly, clutching the lifeless form of Luna in her hooves. The killer had been none other that Twilight Sparkle herself as she saw herself reflected in the eyes of the Sun Princess as the killing blow fell.

"How about I tell you instead a story. A very, very old story. A love story, if you will." The ancient monster's voice had gone surprisingly soft. "I was young, once..."

* * *

Star Journey pawed at the lapping waves with a hoof, uncertain as he nervously looked up at the encouraging Tappis who smiled a few feet away as the water was halfway up her legs.

"Come, the water will not hurt you," she said, giggling. "You silly colt!"

Atalanta was already splashing with Tappaz. The changeling queen glistened with sea spray as the filly paddled after her. The mare swam sideways, enticing the darker changeling with encouraging words and praise. "Come, Star!" she tossed her mane and regarded him with a laugh. "The water is wonderful and Ata is already swimming well!" Tappis finished again for her sister, the transition seamless. It was difficult sometimes which one was speaking as they could mimic each other perfectly.

"Okay," he said, taking another step. The water was warm, at least. It felt nice lapping up his leg. He took another one and another. Soon the water was up to his plump little belly. It was pretty neat to look and see how his lavender coat darkened when it was wet. He ventured further, a small wave going over his chest and splashing a little sea water in his mouth.

So salty! He spat out the taste. Of course it refused to go away.

Tappis laughed merrily at his expense, but she meant it in good fun. He could feel her emanate warmth towards him. He responded by reaching her legs, his little hooves barely touching the sandy floor.

"Very good, Star," she praised him with a nuzzle. "The beach is such a wonderful way to enjoy a day after working so hard for so long. You have earned with with how well you have done with your lessons. Do you like your reward?" Tappis asked him anxiously. Tappaz paused in her play with Atalanta to hear the answer herself.

"I like it very much!" he decided. "Will I learn to swim, then mom?" Star Journey was hopeful as he gazed lovingly up at her.

"Of course, little one! Of course!" The topaz queen began to back up into the surf. "Come to me. Don't think about what your legs are doing. You have swimming built into you. It's natural, so let nature do the swimming for you." Tappis and Tappaz pinged off each other, their voices ringing out with perfectly rational instructions.

Star Journey found himself floundering at first, but neither of the queens moved to help him. Instead, they told him to relax, to not panic, to keep a cool head. "Lose your head, lose your life!" was the song the queens sang from time to time. The servant had lost his composure and it had cost him his final payment. Determined, the little pudgy colt focused on Tappis and paddled after her.

Her smile was huge when he finally made it to her, rolling on her back and floating while she placed him on her belly. "Very good, my little rolley polley!" she cried out.

"This is so much fun!" Atalanta told him as she rode on the belly of Tappaz. A wave rolled in, lifting the heads of the two queens before rolling down their lengths, lifting the children and carrying on to the beach.

"Continue to do well in your studies and the both of you can come down here as much as you like," Singly or doubly, the two queens spoke with one mind, weaving around each other in perfect harmony. "Your old mothers never did this for you, did they? They never let you have this sort of fun nor reward you properly for your hard work, did they?"

"No!"

"Nuh-uh!"

Atalanta and Star Journey shook their heads fiercely, compelled to think Tappaz and Tappis were the best mommies a colt and filly could ever ask for. They swam with the Topaz Queens for bit longer. Then it was announced lunch was ready.

* * *

Twilight Sparkle wanted to recoil from this dragon posing as an Alicorn stallion. He stared at her, reading her reaction, nodding and smiling as if he had expected no other response. "They all have different mothers, my children. All of them Alicorns, save for the last one. She was special, something I created for myself to keep for myself. She was magnificent, Twilight Sparkle, you have no idea!"

"You're sick!" she spat at him, her ears laid back as she fought the tears she knew were coming. "Even if only half of what you say is true, you're a worse monster than Celestia thought you to be. Why kill them all?"

"I did what any sensible king does when his subjects get in the way of his goals. I had to eliminate them. I cared for none of them, mourned for them not. However, the last one, the one who bore me not one, but three offspring, she meant something to me." He grinned at her, the one eye blazing with amusement. "Which brings me to the question you posed earlier, about what I want."

Twilight did not want to hear the answer. It was already looming in her mind what he wanted.

"I am about to lose some children in this war," he said as if he were describing the weather. "My enemies are powerful and my children will over estimate their own strength. Why, the son I have in Canterlot will soon by discovered by that overly clever Chryaslis and that could set back the work I have had him doing for the past few years."

"Scarheart?" Twilight found herself asking him out of curiosity.

"Him? Oh, no. His mind is all but gone. Not even useful as a tool now. I suppose I should have given him a little more attention in crushing his mind, but his mother's influence guarded him enough to stave off death. He'll be nothing more than a vegetable soon. Pity. He had decent magic." Flamespyre sighed, then broke into another smile. "Sometimes one must start over, start fresh, begin anew."

She felt his hoof upon her cheek. "You and Luna would be a good start, I think. The Princess of Nightmares and the Princess of Magic. Yes, that will do nicely. Once I have the both of you, I can hit the reset button and start again. Learning from past mistakes and applying those lessons should provide for me that which I desire."

Twilight Sparkle screamed at the idea of him touching her. Her defiance in his face was all she could muster as she was suddenly being kissed by him, violently. She broke into sobs, found his hooves holding her eyes to his, the fanged grin he displayed her a promise of things to come.

"Not until we are wed, my sweet," he whispered. "Then you will be reunited with your precious little Star Journey. Not a moment before. Now if you'll excuse me, Princess Twilight Sparkle, I have a beach party to go to. Get some rest. You look frazzled for some reason."

And he was gone.

Twilight Sparkle dreaded her future now. She feared for her son. When she was able to lift up her head, there was a pallor of smoke in the darkness before her. It swirled in place as a globe, coming from nowhere. The ground beneath her hummed and vibrated slightly. The ball flickered, darkened, then became bright. A voice came from within it.

"Observe."

* * *

The mass of the black dragon flew out from the citadel, its inhabitants knowing their master and bowing where they stood as his great shadow passed over them. Parents held up infants in hopes their dark lord would see and bless the foal, as it was rumored he sometimes did. He passed constantly from the castle, going out towards the war across the sea, something they knew nothing of other than their armies had gone over a year ago. Reports were trickling back of great success, promises of riches returning from overseas filtering among the populace.

The world was theirs, so they had been led to believe. The changelings were meant to rule over all the other races, second only to the Dragonking and his brood. He had elevated a pair of popular princesses to the throne shortly after returning to his greatest home. Flamespyre to these changelings was to them what Celestia and Luna combined were to the ponies of Equestria. His return had been awaited patiently. The last queen had dared to believe he was just a myth and a legend never to come back. Make believe gods don't exist, she proclaimed.

Fifteen years ago a topaz dragon by the name of Blood Assault heralded his father's return and did what changelings would have considered miracles as he prepared the way for Flamespyre. One of the first things Blood Assault did was devour the astonished queen on the spot for her doubts and elevated her two twin daughters over the chosen daughter to rule.

The eldest daughter was eliminated publicly by the grateful ascendants to the Topaz Throne.

Blood Assault began to mold the two sisters carefully, encouraging them to build up their army, to prepare it to go overseas and join the other changeling armies from the other kingdoms. They were taught of the other monarchs, the other changeling queens. The queens who agreed to join in the up and coming war were promised power and resources. Most importantly, they were promised as much love as they could handle and more. Blood Assault was not the only dragon to walk among the changelings. Each standing kingdom with a queen had one of Flamespyre's children watching over them, guiding them by any means necessary.

Kahsoon of Aquilla was soon graced by the presence of Flamespyre a month ago and all the city fell and worshipped him. Their promised god had arrived and his first announcement was to proclaim their brave warriors were now sweeping their enemies before them. Fifteen years of preparation was thus far paying off. The proof came in as magically sent reports were shared with the general population with glowing success and maps of the battles, detailing how each battle was fought. Casualty lists were not provided.

Blood Assault went to go participate in the unseen war in a far away land only cared about because somepony's son or father or daughter or mother was fighting an enemy they had only heard about. There was great ceremony as the eldest of Flamespyre's sons departed and he was cheered by the masses.

And now the great black dragon with the singular red eye winged his way to the beach, seeking out two particular Queens and their new playthings; his bargaining chips. The brown carapaces of changeling servants flashed in the sun as they scrambled to get out of the giant's way when he landed on the warm white sand. Fanning his great wings while he settled, he kicked up a small sandstorm before folding them to his sides.

There was a great table set out as he approached, digging his claws into the sand deliberately, simply enjoying the sensation between his clawed toes. Idly he plucked up one changeling and popped it in his mouth, snacking as he approached his favorite queens.

"Enjoying the day, my dears?" he asked, lowing his tapered snout to their level so they might greet him properly.

Tappis and Tappaz nuzzled him affectionately, making a mental note to inform the just eaten changeling's family of his sacrifice. They would be pleased to know they were now exempt from paying taxes for a year because of the service as a snack for the dragon.

"We are always please when you grace us with your presence, Dragonking," they purred to him. "The children have been asking for you. Will you greet them?"

"Have they been good?" he asked, turning his eye towards the two little forms bowing with their foreheads in the sand. Atalanta and Star Journey had been taught to stay still and not moved upon the approach of their Lord until they were given permission to move. After a few beatings in the early going, they had learned. They now obeyed without question.

"Very good," Tappis assured her master.

"Star has mastered his telekinesis magic," Tappaz said proudly.

Together they added, "It was a simple matter of finding what motivated him."

"And what was that motivation, might I ask?" The dragon smiled like a proud grandfather.

"Love. Affection. Attention. Listening to his needs."

Flamespyre drew back, sitting on his haunches as he curved his neck, turning his chin towards the filly and colt waiting for permission to rise. "It is so easy to raise them when you know what buttons to push. What of Atalanta? How fares the darling little changeling princess?"

"She is a joy to have and encourages her new brother to do well. They love each other as a brother and sister should." The Topaz Queens sang it out, very proud of their work to this point.

"Would they be willing to demonstrate their love for me?" Flamespyre tilted his head to one side, adjusting his angle so Tappis and Tappaz were in his field of vision. The crimson eye bounced from the two mares to the two children still kneeling in the sand and in the sunlight. He frowned. "Where is their shade?" he demanded with an angry rumble.

The changeling who had replaced the last one came forward, holding her responsibility aloft. Too late, she saw the dragon's wing shield the rays of the sun from Atalanta and Star Journey. At the same time, a foreclaw slammed in front of her, kicking up sand and making her drop her umbrella and fall to the ground in a huddling mass of stricken fear.

It was a bad day for anypony to be holding an umbrella, it seemed.

"Ah, it would appear the demonstration has prostrated itself before us." The dragon grinned wickedly, then assumed a softer tone, "Children, come before me!"

Atalanta and Star Journey rose to their hooves and trotted before him as expected, looking up at Flamespyre with adoring eyes.

"Observe this servant who was supposed to keep the sun from touching you while you had your lunch." His claw delicately caught the little changeling mare beneath the chin and lifted it until her wide-eyed stare was looking into his soulless one. "Do you not love the children adpoted by your Queens as their own, changeling?" he demanded in a voice that might have been friendly, perhaps even conversational.

"I adore them, Master, I swear!" she cried, shaking her head at the thought of the displeasure she had caused.

"Do you hafta punish her?" Atalanta asked in wonder. "Uncle Scareye, do you have to?"

Star Journey dug at the sand uncomfortably, looking at the frightened changeling servant as she cried silently. "It's her first day on the job, Uncle. Can you please show mercy? For us?" They both assumed wide, innocent and pleading eyes.

Tappis and Tappaz held their breath as their children challenged the dragon openly. They fidgeted, wondering if they were going to lose their playthings and have to start all over again with new ones. These two had been working out so well. They were such darlings! The servant was expendable. They came and went. The lower caste of changelings could never hope to be worth nothing more than fodder for the good of the kingdom. Their lives belonged to the Queen and in this case, to the Dragonking Flamespyre Battlesinger the Shadowdragon, Lord of the Changelings and Master of War and Destruction.

There was a brief pause. A seagull called out mournfully above. "I will counter your proposal," he said with a smile. Lowering his eye to them, Flamespyre whispered loudly, "I'll spare her life if the two of you pull out her wings." His eye swirled, compelling, enticing. "Do so and I shall go swimming with you. Would you like that?"

_ My Lord, they are not strong enough for that magic. _Cautioned the Topaz Queens. He knew they were worried. Flamespyre chuckled.

_I warned you not to feed off them, did I not? You must be punished for your insolence, ladies. I love you both too much to do you harm, but you will witness the discomfort of the children you wish to call your own. You made your choice a month ago. It is time to pay your dues._

With that, he turned to the children, freeing their minds a little from the control they were under. He wanted them aware of what they were doing. Woodenly, he spun them towards the changeling, channeling his magic through their horns. Their eyes were wide, frightened as they no longer had control of their bodies. The changeling stared at them, watching as their horns began to glow pitch black. It was not their magic. The power emanating them could be felt by every changeling in the area. The Topaz Queens fell to their knees as they could taste the power emanating from a pair of tiny horns from a changeling princess and an Alicorn's only son.

Atalanta could feel her magic and another magic grip the base of one wing. Star Journey had the other one. Both cried even though their faces assumed cruel intent. The pull was slow at first. Naturally they fought against doing harm to another living being, Star Journey more so than Atalanta. The changeling servant squealed, much like the last one did. This one pleaded for the sake of her own offspring. The dragon's face was impassive, instead living the experience through their eyes, the cruel visages a reflection of his own. The changeling writhed in agony as a tearing sound came from her left wing. The right soon followed there after. Blood was running down her back and sides. Her hooves flailed wildly as she cried and screamed and cried and screamed. The right was the first to fall away, then the left. The final scream was piercing and she was released to writhe in the ground.

Star Journey and Atalanta were released from the hold, the magical aura leaving them. They cried, eyes wide with horror as they stared at the changeling they had just hurt.

Flamespyre stared at them with the look of a teacher having just passed great wisdom upon his students. "That wasn't so bad now, was it?" He turned and went for the water, expecting it to be a good day for a swim. "Join me when you both are ready. Your Majesties, have them in the water with me in five minutes. It's too lovely a day to be moping about trifling little things."

The Topaz Queens bowed to him before sweeping up their little playthings and trying to calm them down with their magic and their voices.

"Have that one tended and thrown in prison," they said, indicating the wounded changeling with a command. It was done so without hesitation.

"Our little ones," they whispered to Atalanta and Star Journey. "Never question the orders of Flamespyre or he will make you do things you do not wish to do. Do as he commands, let his commands be carried out and your lives will know nothing but joy." They made a group beneath the shade of an umbrella discreetly appearing to block out the sun. The two queens mothered the filly and the colt until the tears were gone and they were able to assert their control over them again. Everything was soon made all right.

Two joyful children were soon playing with the black dragon upon the surf of a wide blue ocean.

* * *

Twilight sparkle screamed in rage, screamed at Flamespyre to stop. She had seen the tears in her son's eyes. She had so desperately wanted the madness to stop, the cruelty to end. It had lasted too long. It should never had happened to begin with. The cloud had shown her everything in perfect clarity, every detail, even allowing her to feel her son's horror and fright, how his spirit squealed and squirmed beneath such evil power.

Nopony should be this cruel. She had never imagined such a thing possible.

And now he wanted her for his own.

She cried long after the pallor ball had disappeared, but not for herself. She wept for her only son as she knew there would be only one end for him possible now. Flamespyre was going to kill him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Prophet**

As a changeling, Crown Princess Atalanta had a naturally built in resistance to the mind control magic inherent in all changeling queens. As a soon-to-be queen herself, her budding magic was already in the early stages of such a development. As she grew, her own ability to manipulate multiple minds like her mother would grow and even had her own personal touch. Though the hive mentality of changelings had mostly faded, the influence a queen had over her subjects and especially her intended victims was obviously there. One had but to ask Shining Armor and Princess Cadence about their take on the Canterlot incident.

Since the incident at the beach with the poor changeling having her wings torn from her, Atalanta had been screaming in an isolated pocket of her mind, fully awake and aware of what had happened. She was sure Star Journey felt the same way. Used to such acts of cruelty (her mother was by no means a saint), she had never seen joy felt by others revelling in the suffering of their victims. Being linked with the Topaz Queens was not so bad, though they were a bit harsher in dealing out punishment, but the short link with Flamespyre had been a sensational experience of pure unadulterated horror. As a result from the shock and recoil from his mental touch, some of the links she had with the Topaz Queens had been broken.

She had pushed against their influence until she was exhausted, even as she swam with the dragon to whom that same little recess of her mind was terrified of it and wanted to run away from such evil. Atalanta laughed with a monster, sitting on the tip of his snout as he acted as a diving board for her to jump into the rolling waves of the ocean.

The worst part of all was the dragon knew. The gleam in his eye when he stared at her was enough convincing. It was as if he enjoyed watching that little part of her still belonging struggle against the suffocating will of two queens. The dragon had removed his influence from her completely, leaving the little princess to struggle against odds only slightly less impossible now.

Atalanta knew Star Journey was suffering, too. Since he was a mushy pony, he was probably doing mental flips in his head and howling for his mother, Twilight Sparkle. Where was she, anyway? Neither had seen the lavender Alicorn since the day they had arrived.

It was the middle of a starry night. Luna's full glow bathed where she lay in a bed of vipers. She was awake, laying with Star Journey and nestled comfortably between Tappis and Tappaz. Both queens were sleeping soundly, their heads and forehooves entwined with each other. Atalanta was curled up against the neck and chest of Tappis while Star Journey was stretched out between the bellies of the queens and on his back. His mouth was open as he snored softly. One hind leg twitched every now and then as he dreamed.

No, it was a nightmare. His little chunky face was scrunched. Atalanta thought he might be reliving what had happened to the changeling servant.

The little princess had managed to sever the ties to her mind with her own natural ability. It had been a struggle, but she had feigned sleep until she was sure her 'mothers' were asleep. Quietly she shifted to her legs, careful not to jostle the sleeping queen who held her close. The other queen's face was right in front of her, wearing a peaceful smile, almost angelic. Beneath it lay a monster not in the caliber of Flamespyre, but one none the less. Atalanta was careful to conceal her emotions. A sudden change could awaken one or both Topaz Queens and they were especially sensitive to the spectrum of emotions changelings could sense.

Emotions were a part of changeling life, though not in the conventional way say, a pony might understand it. If there was a singular reason why there was by outsiders a reason to point out changelings had a hive mentality, this was it. The nobility were essentially the changelings who could sense and guard against emotions and there were those who could not. The normal changeling could sense emotions, but had no means to protect their own emotions from being detected and used against them. Magic aside, those who controlled their emotions and hid them from others were likely to rise in the aristocratic pecking order.

Thanks to being a daughter of the very powerful and influential Queen Chrysalis, Atalanta was no exception to this rule. One of the delightful games the two did share on a regular basis back home was a game fondly referred to as 'What am I feeling?'. This was Mother's way of developing her daughter's ability to mask her mind as well as her emotions. All she had to do was realize and prepare for when a changeling was sensing for her emotional state. Queen Chrysalis could get away with it because quite frankly there was no changeling in the world who could match her power. Atalanta always thought her mother simply enjoyed it.

Eminating calm from herself, the little princess sat up, blinking as she half expected a topaz eye to open and glare at her angrily. Nothing happened. Slowly she began to flap her wings, using a levitating spell upon herself until she was high enough up to use her own wing power to stay aloft. Biting her lower lip, she released her spell and found neither queen even stirring. Tappis smacked her lips and nuzzled her sister, her horn scraping the other's for a moment. Neither moved after that.

Next she looked at Star Journey. Atalanta debated on taking him with her, but decided he would probably want to come. Brushing a strand of hair from her harlequin eyes, she took in a deep breath, focused on Star Journey, and already imagined the regret her brain cramp was going to be in lifting his body with her levitation spell. What followed was not exactly what she had in mind.

Star Journey was a hefty colt. He had lost some weight since coming to Kahsoon as the Queens made him walk a lot from one end of the palace to the other. Encouraged to exercise, his weight was also carefully monitored. It was slowly coming off, but there was still plenty of extra to him. This also meant more exertion in the levitation spell as magic was also an exercise in mental fortitude. The stronger the mind and better trained, the more it could do. Atalanta had seen her mother lift a manticore with a levitation spell once as a demonstration while making it look easy. It was also known she had beaten Princess Celestia in a magic duel.

Star Journey was no manticore and Atalanta was no Queen Chrysalis.

The little princess concentrated, narrowing her eyes to slits as she grit her fangs. Her horn glowed a soft light green. Stary Journey's body outlined with her magic. Slowly she began to lift him from his chest, imagining magical arms lifting him by his arm pits. His forehooves dangled, one flopping over his chest as he started turning on her, away from Tappaz. The head lolled towards gravity, his horn just narrowly poking into the queen's side.

_Ugh, he's heavy._

Still, he came up, slowly like a rag doll from the bottom of a toy chest. Atalanta had her tongue out to one side now as she concentrated. Beads of sweat formed on her brow and neck. She maintained her concentration and soon had him off the bed, hovering with his legs dangling. Star Journey was still snoring. This somehow was viewed as insulting by the princess as she was half tempted to let him drop. All this effort to get him out of there and all he could do was snore like a nincompoop!

_Still, I guess it's better than him waking up and squealing like the little piggy he is._

Ata wondered why she was doing this. If she were her mother, she would certainly had left him to these two nutbags. There was something to be said about being mothered by a pair of sociopaths. The Topaz Queens Tappis and Tappaz would have been ruled insane and unfit to rule back home. Here, they could do whatever they wanted to anypony they wanted. As demonstrated, they also had considerable magic at their hooftips. Combined, they might even be a challenge for Queen Chrysalis. At least Atalanta was assured her mother understood the value of life. One simply did not destroy valuable assets inherent to the comfort of the royal family.

Backing up slowly and maintaining the distance between herself and Star, the princess pulled him off the bed. She began to land him coming with her. Both touched down at roughly the same time. Maintaining her spell, the princess began to bodily drag the sleeping Star across the carpeted floor.

He was still snoring.

She managed to drag him into another room and out of view of the bed where their psychotic 'mothers' slept. Their lingering hold over her made her momentarily want to run back and nestle in between them, but Ata stopped herself with a silent growl. No! They were not her Mommas! She needed to make sure Star Journey knew this, too. He had his own mother and she was somewhere in this castle. Somehow she hoped to find Twilight Sparkle and maybe the Alicorn could magic them away to safety, to home.

To Chrysalis.

Her eyes felt wet as she thought of her mother. She wondered if Silent Wing was worried about her. She was confident the two could tear down the walls of this fortress to find her and rescue her.

Nevermind those things! She shook her mane and propped Star up to a sitting position. Gently she shook him awake. His blue eyes fluttered open and found a princess staring at him, her nose inches from his own. Star opened his mouth to say something, but a dark hoof was slapped over his lips.

"Shh!" Ata held her other hoof over her own lips. "Hold still a sec. Look into my eyes."

He did so, not sure what she was doing. Star blinked sleepily, wanting to go back to bed, but also aware he was not currently in bed, nestled up to Mommy - wait, that was not his mother! Why were Ata's eyes glowing like that? What was this magical thingamajig she was doing to him? He realized he was in control of his own mind again. Star started to cry as he immediately remembered the changeling mare.

"No!" Ata hissed quietly. "You idiot. You'll wake them up. Keep your mouth shut. I don't know the silence spell. Can I trust you not to cry or make noise, Star?"

Mutely he nodded through his fresh tears. The hoof was removed from his mouth. "I know the silence spell," he whispered back as if he thought it would be helpful. "Why are you so sweaty? It's not hot."

Ata rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's see if we can find your mother." She went to the door and peered out at the bed. The queens were fast asleep still.

They managed to slink past the bed with the sleeping mares, heading for the door and the hallway outside. They didn't recall any guards stationed outside before and could not imagine any there now. Atalanta took the lead as they paused and peered both ways down the hall. It was as silent as a tomb. The filly and the colt debated for a moment which way to go before Star simply started going to the right. Seeing there was no reason not to follow, Ata was soon on his heels, both children experiencing pounding hearts and fear. After about five minutes or so of walking, they came across four guards roaming the halls at an intersection.

There was an awkward moment as the two parties stared at each other.

"What are you doing here?" demanded the guard in charge of the group. He appeared to be a corperal, or some soldier of that rank.

Atalanta motioned for Star to keep quiet before addressing the guards. "Do you know who I am, commoner?" she demanded in her best spoiled princess voice. "Nopony asks me what my business is."

The guards became unsure. They knew who she was but had never seen her out of sight of their Queens. "Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

"We are bored," she said flatly. "We go where we wish when we are bored. We wish to see the changeling who owes her life to us. We do not know where the prison is and demand to know where she is so we may receive our thanks for our selfless act." It seemed a logical request. Once there, she imagined Twilight Sparkle would be found somewhere in a cell, just waiting to be rescued. Of course, how an Alicorn could be held must mean there would be magical enchantments to overcome. But what kind?

Star Journey stared at her in mute awe. An elbow into his belly and a swift glare reminded him to follow her lead. He caught on quickly and assumed his best arrogance pose. It wasn't hard since he was a brat.

The guards immediately came to attention. Their leader spoke, "We would be honored to escort you to where the prisoner is." The four snapped, spread out and formed a defensive square around the colt and the filly.

Atalanta thought they were going to be imprisoned themselves. Still, she maintained her facade. "Lead on then, ah. What is your name and rank, soldier?"

"Sergeant Stripewing," answered the Topaz guard with a grin. He looked like any changeling she had ever met, except he had a light brown hue to his carapace. The eyes glowed the same color as the queens, though nowhere near as intensely.

They ended up going into a completely different part of the castle entirely. The path took them over seemingly every inch of ground of the palace and castle proper until they came to an iron gate in some dark and desolate part of the grounds. The moon overhead was the only source of light. A night hawk called out from somewhere up in the castle spires.

There was a single guard who let them in without a word, bearing a key to the lock of the gate. He pulled it open and watched silently as the small party silently filed in. They found themselves going down a flight of stone steps deep into the abyss of the castle's underground.

"This was not originally a prison," said Stripewing as his horn flared into a torch. "It's been modified over the past century to accommodate mostly political prisoners, ponies to feed upon as well as other needs Their Majesties might have."

Atalanta and Star Journey found they did not like the sound of that. The lower they went into the unknown, the more dark and dank the place became. Hoofsteps echoed in the tight corridor as the stairs wound down, spiraling around a massive natural stone support. Then it opened up to a vast cavern, dotted by torches a thousand feet in every direction. The floor was neatly partitioned into small cubicles with twenty feet of space above them. Chains dangled, leading to iron grates at the front of each little cell. The interiors could be seen from above. The sounds of coughing someponies could be heard, weak and tired. There was weeping. Somepony was begging for someone to show mercy and end it. The smell alone felt it could curdle skin off of flesh.

The children wished they had not come.

"Your mom, remember!" Atalanta whispered harshly into the colt's ear.

He flattened them and nodded, swallowing hard.

"This way, please," said Stripewing politely. He seemed uncomfortable upon seeing how pale Ata and Star had apparently become. "Just don't look down. We'll be crossing the platform to the master jailor's office. He'll be able to take you where you need to go."

"Thank you," squeaked Star, keeping his eyes firmly in front of him. He wanted to pinch his nose shut. No he wanted to cut it off. "The smell," he began to complain under his breath.

Ata elbowed him in the gut.

The master jailor turned out to be an enormously fat changeling with a twisted face and an oversized lower jaw. Instead of having fangs protruding downward from his upper lip like most changelings, his jutted up from the lower. He peered at them with an oversized right eye. A leather eye patch covered his left. The creature walked with a pronounced sliding limp. Numerous keys jingled from a belt he wore around his waist.

"Visitors for the serving wench who survived the attention of the Dragonking," the sergeant announced as they went inside the only building built over the cubicles. It was constructed of stone. Wood seemed to be sparse in Kahsoon, the children noticed.

The massive and hideous changeling glared at them, scratching his chin. "They is now, is they? Prophet'll be wantin' ta see them, I figure. Wouldn't be surprised iff'in he's expectin' these two l'il darlins." His grin could probably shatter a looking glass, Star thought.

"They are expected," said Stripewing gruffly. "Best not keep him waiting."

"He's been drinkin'," warned the jailor sourly. "Then again, he's _always_ drinkin'." He snorted and laughed a barking laugh. Ata thought it was not at all pleasant to hear. "All right, all right, I'll take 'em. I don' wanna be the one there when _they_ find out their l'il playmates 'ave wandered down 'ere."

Sergeant Stripewing nodded, then bowed to the children. "Highnesses, mind your manners down here and especially around prophet. He won't harm you, but he might yell a lot. He likes to yell. Just a fair warning."

"Who is this prophet?" Star asked curiously, trying not to look at the ugly jailor. Did he hit every ugly branch in the ugly tree and have it fall on him when he hit the ground just to add insult in injury?

"You'll see," replied the sergeant with a tight grin. He left, taking his patrol with him.

"All right, 'm little darlins'," grumbled the jailor. "The name's Fracture. If he's expectin' the two of you, then I needs to take ya a different way. There's a special place fer him." Fracture began going through the enormous number of keys at his belt.

Star Journey felt another nudge. Atalanta whispered in his ear loudly, "Well, ask him. Now's your chance."

He nodded, not wanting Fracture to look at him. This was for Mother! "S-s-sir? Mr. Fracture, sir?" he stammered with a squeak.

"Louder, dummy. You're a prince. Speak like one," Ata snarled in his ear with her little voice.

Star took in a deep breath and summoned his courage. "Is my mother Twilight Sparkle down here somewhere? She's a purple Alicorn with horn and wings and straight pretty dark purple mane with a stripe in it."

Fracture fixed his one topaz eye on the colt, regarding him as he stopped in mid search for the right key. "Ain't no prisoner fittin' that description down here, boy. I'd know if there was. The black one keeps his interests elsewhere. The further from me, the better." He fished out a key, glared at the two children and muttered, "Follow me."

He limped to a large iron door and unlocked it. The door opened with a pull on an iron ring with his teeth. Star Journey and Atalanta were ushered inside and led down another flight of spiraling stairs after the door was shut behind them. Fracture, the children noticed, had a rather rank odor emanating from him. They had to use their own horns to light the way as the changeling jailor seemed indifferent to using one, relying on his intimate knowledge of the place.

The steps opened into a large cave carved into the stone at the base of the stairs. There was another door, this one a bit more ornate. Fracture opened this one without a key, holding up a hoof first to the children as he peered in. He opened his mouth as if to announce Star Journey and Atalanta when a voice drifted to their ears.

"Send them in, Frac."

The jailor scowled. "Hate it when he does that," he muttered. Fracture glared at the children. "Well. In you go! Git!" He shooed them inside and closed the door when he had them inside behind them.

Much to their relief, he did not follow them inside.

"Just walk straight ahead and take the third door on your right," yelled the voice. It sounded deep and old and something else.

Atalanta looked at Star Journey and the two shrugged and went deeper into the room. It was as if somepony had made a house out of the cave. There were furnishings and tables and books and all sorts of things one would find in a normal home. However, nothing matched, looking more like a collection of finds having found a permanent spot here and there in this cave dwelling. Lamps and shades from various eras were lit, not all of them burning with oil or lit by magic. Both children could sense magic, but there was none coming from the lights.

They could hear somepony humming an incoherent song and a few hoofsteps. The door described to them was soon before them. Nervously Ata and Star lined up side by side and peered in, leaning forward with their heads guided by the wall to look to their left where the room opened up. It was some sort of hospital room, from the looks of it. Instruments hung neatly on the wall behind wooden cabinets and glass doors. There was a medicine cabinet only partially full sitting in one corner. At the far end of the room was a very large Unicorn with a gray coat and peppered mane and tail looking over a changeling resting on her belly. Her expression was sad, as if having a trauma happen to her recently. The children could see her shoulders were bandaged. Soiled strips of bindings were strewn on the floor, colored with dry and drying blood.

"I'll have you sleep in the spare bed tonight so I can check how you're doing in the morning," said the Unicorn gently to his patient. His voice was slightly slurred. "When I tell you to not do certain things, it's to keep you from breaking open your stitches." He was wearing a faded old lab coat, his horn glowing with a swirling collection of colors as he worked tenderly with his patient. There was pause only when he sipped from a bottle floating near his head.

The changeling began to weep.

"Oh, stop that!" the Unicorn snapped irritably. He turned slightly and noticed Star Journey and Atalanta staring at him and his patient. It was then they noticed he had a long, thick peppered beard streaked with charcoal gray. He was also impossibly huge for any Unicorn, easily twice the size of either Celestia or Chrysalis. Most mesmerizing were his eyes. They were ever shifting chromatic orbs of light and stood out brilliantly to his dull appearance.

The children beheld him in awed rapture.

"Oh, stop that," he said again, but to them this time. "Help me with this young lady, if you please." The changeling saw the two children and cringed. "No, it was _not_ them." The Unicorn told her, tapping her lightly on the head with the bottom of his bottle. "Have a swig. Doctor's orders. You need rest, Rosie."

Rosie, as he called her, did as she was told and drank sparingly from the bottle. She promptly fell asleep. Gently her body lifted from the table as the Unicorn turned, enshrouded in a swirling aura of soft colorful magic.

"What do you want us to do?" Atalanta asked, speaking for Star. He glared at her, but backed away as the giant approached with his sleeping patient floating in front of him.

"Next room over, turn down the bed for me, if you please," he said with a belch. "Turn the light on, if you will. The switch is to the right of the door on the wall. Get moving, kids. I don't have all night."

They did as they were told, Star turning on the lights in the next room as Ata obediently turned down the covers of a battered bed. It looked surprisingly comfortable. The Unicorn entered and soon had his patient sleeping on her stomach, bandaged and clean. Her face was peaceful in her sleep. Quietly he ushered the colt and filly out of the room, turning the light out. There was no door to close, but a curtain was pulled across the entrance from the hallway side.

"You're both a little later than I expected, but I suppose it couldn't be helped since you don't know the area very well," he mumbled, musing more to himself it seemed. "Ah well. My bottle is nearing the end of its journey and I've become more sober since Rosie was brought back to me."

With a mournful eye, he beheld his nearly empty source of contentment. It was followed by a shrug and one final pull.

"And no, I am not a doctor by trade," he said to the children, seeming to notice they were staring up at him. "Nopony else wanted the job and it gets boring down here. Well, nopony competent enough to keep prisoners alive and healthy before they are executed for the stupidest of things. Gods, how I hate this world and its cruelty."

"Who are you?" asked Atalanta, a little afraid after hearing the miniature tirade.

"The name's Prophet," he said. "Used to have another one, but I don't use it anymore. I took this one simply because what I can do and choose not to do drives the Shadowbastard nuts." He laughed at his own joke before noting the children were not laughing with him. "Eh, come on, you two. There's very little time before those two realize you're gone and come looking for you."

Prophet led them into a larger room to the left. It felt like a living room, complete with a burning fireplace with no wood. There were bookshelves along the north and south walls filled to near overflowing. The volumes were ancient, most of them in writing neither Star nor Ata could understand. At the center of the room was a large coffee table surrounded by a mix of chairs. Old paintings hung where there was room on the walls for them. Over the hearth was a massive sickle crossed with a broad sword. Both gleamed with oil from being well kept. Both were like everything else in the room; ancient.

"Sit where you like. I'll fetch refreshments." Prophet did not bother to see if they heard him, but moved with a swiftness belying his age. He had to be old!

The wide-eyed children stared at each other before selecting the battered blue couch to climb up on. They huddled together, a little scared as they wondered how anypony could get so huge in size. Prophet was a monster!

"How old do you think he is?" Star asked Ata.

She shook her little head, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes. "I don't know," Ata said quietly.

For several minutes they stared about the room, drinking in the details while they heard Prophet bustling about in the next room. They noticed an odd looking ship with no sails in a glass case in the far corner of the room. It caught Star's attention. Before he could go over the look at it, Prophet returned carrying a tray with glasses filled with a golden liquid. There were also biscuits and jam and sliced up fruits. There was even a bunch of white grapes. The Unicorn set the tray on the table and floated the juice to the children.

"It's not alcohol, I promise," he said to them when they eyed it suspiciously. "It's a local mix of fruit juices and honey. Very good for the digestive system and quite tasty, I might add."

Tentatively Ata and Star took the glasses and sniffed into them. They looked at each other, then shrugged and took a drink. The sweet tang of the drink tickled their tongues. Star Journey did not hesitate and drained the glass down, gulping loudly. Atalanta stared at him, making a face as she scooted away from his side.

"Thank you for the drinks," she said politely to Prophet.

He had opened a fresh bottle of whatever alcohol he preferred and was taking a quick pull before waving her thanks off. "I rarely get guests down here worth my time," he said with a grin. "I should be thanking you two. I've been waiting a long time to meet you." He sat down on his overstuffed chair, far too big for it but managing to look lazily comfortable. Adjusting his wings, the Unicorn settled down and sighed happily.

Wait. _Wings?_

Before Atalanta's glass hit the floor, it glowed with Prophet's magic as his smile faded. Both colt and filly stared at their host, rather at the wings on him, black tipped feathers in a state of disarray and near neglect. Star Journey's glass fell to the carpet, but did not break. It was simply too thick.

Prophet was an Alicorn.

"It's rude to stare, children," he chided them gently. Another pull from his bottle and he regarded them with almost what could be described as shame. "Yes, I am what you think I am and no, I am not going to talk about it. You have many questions, but do not let what I am distract you from the purpose to which you are here. Understand?"

Star righted himself from nearly toppling over to the side. "Do you know where my mom is?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I do," came the reply. "Flamespyre holds her in his quarters. If you were to go to the largest temple on the fortress grounds, you will find it. She is underground several stories. No, she is not physically harmed, if you were wondering."

"I want to go to her!" he cried out to Prophet, flailing his hooves.

"I know, son. Be patient. Do not worry about her. She will not be harmed." The Alicorn stroked his beard and added almost as an afterthought, "At least not for now."

"How do you know this?" asked Atalanta curiously. "Do you ever leave this place?"

"I have not seen the light of day in over a thousand years," said Prophet with a shrug. "Why should I want to? I've seen what happens." His voice was mysterious as he observed the children. A hoof was levelled at Atalanta. "You will be a powerful queen one day. What kind of queen remains to be seen." It went to Star Journey. "You will be a great scholar and discover forgotten magics from an era destroyed by magic."

The children fished for snacks, not breaking their gazes from the Alicorn. Atalanta was given back her glass which she held with her magic a bit more firmly now.

"No, I've already seen what might happen. There is no point in going out in the world when one knows the possibilities. It's a curse, really." Prophet pointed to his cutie mark. It was the All Seeing Eye within a pyramid. Six streaks of light projected from its center, each one a color from the prism. "I can see possible futures in my dreams every night."

"You can see the future?" Star Journey blurted. "That's impossible!"

"I wish it was impossible, kid," Prophet said with a grunt. He drank again, taking a rather long pull from his bottle, draining half the contents in one go. "But your new mommies will be at the door in four. Three. Two. One."

The door at the end of the hallway pounded. Prophet's horn glowed briefly and he bellowed, "IT'S OPEN!"

Ata dropped her glass again. It was caught and returned to her.

The Topaz Queens Tappis and Tappaz swept into the room, their eyes wide with fright and anger, wings buzzing in their agitation. Their horns glowed. They were ready to do something unpleasant. Their eyes settled on Prophet, who waved at them with his bottle to come in.

"Come in, come in! Room for plenty in here. We can have a good old bash!" He noted they were not at all pleased at him. "Perhaps 'bash' is not the right word to use at the moment. Ah, well," Prophet sighed and finished the bottle in one go. "Sit down, ladies! Don't stand on ceremony on my account!"

"Why are they here?" the queens demanded in overlapping hisses as they slid over towards Atalanta and Star Journey. They stood behind them protectively, stretching down to nuzzle the children who now recoiled from them. Taken a back by this, they withdrew in confusion, their eyes flaring with renewed rage as they focused on Prophet.

"Oh, calm down, girls," he said, indifferent to their anger. "The changeling filly knows how to counter your mind manipulations. She had a very good teacher in her_ real _mother. You both got lazy with your own magic and did not anticipate as I taught you when you were both fillies. Nor will I allow you to punish either of them for your own inability to know royal changeling children will inherently have certain abilities other changelings do not have. It applies to all the colors of the changelings, girls. Understand?"

The Topaz Queens appeared shamefaced at the lecture.

To Star and Ata, Prophet said, "You two are safe with them. You may not like it, but you will be safest with them than anywhere else in this kingdom. I don't care for their methods," - he glared meaningfully at the queens - "But I understand why they do this. I won't explain it to either of you because I simply don't want to. You'll figure it out on your own." Prophet shifted his attention to the queens fully. "You will be held accountable for your actions. What you do in the following months will determine the strength of the dark storm coming for you. How well you protect these two children will play a hand in how the rest of your days play out."

"Anything else?" asked the queens with surprising calm. Fear, however swirled behind their eyes. "What other bits of wisdom can a forgotten relic bestow when he himself refuses to be a part of the world?"

"The One I cannot see has been moving. His journey has begun."

"Silent Wing?" Tappaz asked scornfully.

Tappis added, "He has no power."

"Nor is he your opponent," chuckled Prophet. His eye wandered and flickered for a moment on Atalanta and the shadow she stood beneath. The smile widened as he regarded the Topaz mares again. "You chose yours already. Now, take your 'children' and leave. I have a patient to check upon. You will assign her as governess to Atalanta and Star Journey when she is well enough to leave."

"Why should we do this?" asked both Queens in their eerie shared speech.

"I demand it be done for both of your sakes. There is still a chance for the two of you. A small one, but one none the less. As your teacher, I ask you to consider my wisdom. You won't be able to have the children around you all the time and you know it." He settled back, looking mournfully at his empty bottle. "After I check on Rosie, I shall go back to drowning myself."

Star Journey and Atalanta stared in mute shock as the Alicorn was not going to fight for them. Instead, he had meekly handed them over to the Topaz Queens. Within moments of the dismissal, they were once again within the thrall of the changeling mares, now happy to be with their mothers. They departed, making cheerful and tired goodbyes as Tappiz and Tappas told them they were tired. Lo and behold, they found sleep hounding them as they were nestled upon comfortable backs and between insectoid wings.

Each one felt within the one part of their minds they could still call their own the sense of betrayal. Alicorns were supposed to be good, noble, and honorable. Images of Celestia, Luna, Cadence and especially Twilight Sparkle in the case of Star Journey permeated their thoughts as to what an Alicorn was supposed to be. These were their last thoughts as sleep claimed them.

Prophet betrayed that sense, watching them blearily through eyes desiring only to find the next bottle to keep the demons at bay. He hated himself as he could see past the magic and felt the betrayal. It was the story of his far-too long life.

"Be patient, little ones," he said before going in search of what he craved. Before he did so, he did check on Rosie. She was still asleep. Glad to have this one lone success for the night, the ancient Alicorn went in search of temporary oblivion.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Chrysalis Unleashed**

Canterlot was abuzz with soldiers departing for the front lines. Every day the allies of Equestria were losing a bit more ground, but they were starting to establish themselves firmly in the mountains, using them to stymie the advancing forces of the Dragonking.

Oblivion. The very word sent shivers down the Queen's spine when she first heard it from Celestia's lips. She had dug up her journal, the very one she had kept since Silent Wing had come under her care. Oblivion was not just a simple word, but for changelings, it was a promise made to them long ago by Flamespyre to give them a god. The past fifteen years had turned the prophecy she remembered as a filly into the ramblings of a mad dragon. Since she had felt his mind, his writings that had become almost a religion to changeling royals, the doctrine of what they were to strive to be had started to make a different sort of sense to her.

She had never dwelled upon it as the word itself had never been physically mentioned in any of the old texts she had in her personal library. No volume could claim to explain one word in the context to which Flamespyre intended, whatever that may be. Chrysalis suspected oblivion was his intention once he had all he desired and the world beneath his claw.

If anything, it made his whole goals even more confusing. Princess Celestia was inclined to agree with her. If the war was not pressing, both royal matriarchs would get together and go over the queen's scribblings and reference Celestia's own research she handed over to her royal librarian to seek. Canterlot had one of the largest collections of books and writings from around the known world with literally thousands of unread works awaiting study.

Still, the queen noticed a problem with Celestia; she was becoming more and more lethargic and indifferent to running her government. It was so slight, but Chrysalis noticed. She assigned a small group of Silent's changelings (she could not bring herself to trust Myzanum's warriors) the task of seeking out the pony doing this. It had to be a Battlesinger.

But who? Few beings in the world could outmatch a changeling in mimicry, even fewer could escape detection from a changeling. A dragonling, however was a different story. Even Silent would have noticed, perhaps more so since this was one of his siblings even if he was still ignorant of his connection. Now they dared to move against Princess Celestia. Such a dangerous risk! Unless there was an ulterior motive.

For an hour she had waited at the end of a hallway, gazing out a window at nothing, her focus a thousand miles away along with her thoughts. Streams of sunshine plastered her face, forcing her eyes half closed in the glare. She was not in her normal form. Instead, she wore the guise of a mare from Ponyville who had gone with a supply train to Grazeland. Her pale blonde mane was braided and flipped to one side, her coat a dark gray. It was an Earth pony guise mimicking the somepony of a guard she had noticed.

Chrysalis was hungry for love and was now actively hunting for it. Celestia was preoccupied with other things to keep tabs on her. One of Silent's changelings (that boy had chosen his warriors very well, she noted and from the minor noble houses and the commoners) was currently standing in for Chrysalis while she stalked her quarry. Oblivion and the war would have to wait until after feeding.

A white stallion Unicorn in steel armor rounded the corner. He paused, noticing the familiar mare in front of him, waiting and smiling. His love for her exploded on sight and Chrysalis nearly swooned. She could already feel her fangs applying that personal touch she preferred when feeding on love directly from the source.

"Hello dear," she purred enticingly, walking up to him with heavy lidded eyes. "I've been waiting for you." The eyes of the queen glowed green, capturing her victim and luring him into her web. It would make thinking so much clearer with that nagging need for love sated.

For now.

Out in the courtyard there was a great commotion. Just as she was about to feed, cries from an arriving messenger from the front crying out frantically interrupted her. "The Griffon Kingdom has fallen! Somepony find the princess! The Griffon Kingdom has fallen to the enemy!"

"Damn the luck," she muttered as she caressed the face of her intended dining experience. "This will have to be a quickie, my dear."

* * *

The rugged mountains bordering the Kingdoms of Equestria and Griffondia was the last line of defense between the enemy and Manehatten. There was on major pass where the mountains were low enough for flyers to pass through. However, the winds were treacherous and benefited the defenders better than at any other point of the war to this point. The tops of the mountains were constantly concealed through the endless clouds. The Endless Peaks were well named, with many of the jagged spires of massive stone breaching deep into the thin air where no winged beast dared to fly.

Griffon refugees had been streaming through the wide pass for a week now. Their army did their best to stem the waves of changelings crashing against them time and time again. They were a desperate lot and a grim and determined army braced wearily for the next assault as they dug into their mountains and rocks and slopes in anticipation of the next attack. The changeling army they faced was regrouping, having overextended themselves over the past six days.

Queen Chrysalis was at the front lines now and in her changeling chain mail and banded black steel. Her mane was tied back in a topknot, her delicate crown having been exchanged for an open-faced helm studded with onyx stones where the crown would be. Her mane plumed out from the top of the helmet, knotted off at the base before spilling over her protected neck. Her single strand of hair always hanging between her eyes dangled there still, plastered against her skin through her sweat. The weight of the helm pressing kept it in place. She did not remove her helm, anticipating battle at any given moment. Upon it were the markings of her children's names in the ancient words of what had once been the language of an empire, long forgotten by all but a few. Atalanta upon the right face guard, Silent Wing etched upon the left.

Queen Chrysalis had come to do war upon her enemies.

Generals were assembled around them within the tent, a great table with several maps strewn across it. Pewter figurines depicting units and their positions were scattered where they were currently at on the battlefield. The front was stabilized for now, but for how long remained to be seen. None seemed too please to see their most hated enemy among them in place of their beloved princess. When she entered, there was a hush settling over the grizzled faces, reflecting in hardened eyes their contempt. Everypony beneath the tent and around the table knew exactly this creature's past with Canterlot. There were even a pair of griffons in impeccable dress uniforms watching her in her archaic battle gear, smirking.

The princess' letter was all that kept them from falling upon the dark queen. It rested on the corner of the table. More than one eye fell upon it. More than one throat tightened. More than one sigh hissed through clenched teeth.

Princess Celestia knew there would be no other pony better suited for the task of leading troops in battle, even if she had to be creative in convincing her generals. The Alicorn would have gone, but she understood her mind was not working right. Through a remarkable stroke of realization, she understood she might be more of a hindrance to her army than a help. She begged the queen to go and help any way she could. There was no one else to turn to.

Chrysalis accepted the task, but for her own reasons.

There could be no delay, so attempting to explain herself was out of the question. Having already received a report from her own changelings of the situation, she decided to get to the meat of the conversation. Her attention went towards the positioning of troops and reported movements, playing several scenarios over and over in her head. Chrysalis was looking at the map, her hoof tapping at a particular point of interest where she thought the enemy was vulnerable. "The right flank is over extended," she noted to the generals in the room. "We should hit them with heavy infantry with air support. We can buy time to fortify our positions. Their command and control is on that hill right before the pass opens up. We should push for it and disrupt their chain of command."

Flash Sentry, his jaw still recovering from being broken by Silent Wing peered at the map where the queen indicated. He was well enough to be at the front. Outside the distant thunder of artillery rumbled constantly as both sides dueled as if it was simply something to do.

"Impossible, your Majesty," he said through clenched teeth. The general still could not open his jaws fully. "We have too many forces dedicated to holding what we have." He held up a hoof when she began to protest angrily. "We can't spare soldiers for your idea. It's a good plan, we just don't have the ponies to execute it."

"Even if we did, why should we trust you? You're a changeling. We're fighting changelings."

She ignored that, contemplating a plan. "What if I were to personally lead the attack?" Chrysalis offered, her eyes blazing. "I will take a small force of changelings under my command and strike into the gap, driving a wedge while I push for their commander."

"But their commander is a powerful sorcerer and we have nopony who can match against her."

"Queen Alzaera. I have met her once before. She is aggressive. She is old. She hides her weaknesses through bluffs. That being said, she is also cunning. But she is no warrior, my dear generals." Chrysalis cast her eyes over every pony at the table who bothered to listen to her. "The Diamond Kingdom is the most numerous of all the changelings. In order to break any changeling army, you must remove their leadership. You know this." She fell upon the two griffon commanders at the table, telling them, "You have used that tactic against my own children, have you not?"

One of the older generals glared at her. "As you were just told, we have nopony who can match against her magic."

Chrysalis stared at him, giving the poor fellow a moment to realize to whom he was addressing. The light dawned in his eyes as they widened briefly. "My apologies," he muttered, unable to bring himself to look at her while uttering those words.

"I will personally lead the attack with my bodyguards," she told them, not expecting them to accept such an outrageous offer. They were, after all a bunch of close-minded ponies who wouldn't know a gift if it slapped them in the face. "If I should fall, then you boys shouldn't have to worry about the likes of Queen Chrysalis ever again, will you?"

They shared a silent conference, looking for some form of objection to the idea. Disbelieving stares greeted each other as they came to a consensus. They understood they could not remain on the defensive and expect to win. Besides, for a queen to offer to lead an attack was the thing one only heard of in story books.

"Say when and where you want your artillery support," growled the commanding artillery officer. "We'll give you proper music to ride off into."

"I'm sure we can get you a brigade of heavies from the reserves," Flash Sentry offered. "I'll lead them personally."

Not missing a beat or allowing herself a moment to be grateful, she began pouring over the maps. A dozen heads leaned in with her. "Here's what I want to do," she began, strangely glad to be going to battle herself for the first time since...

Inside, she was laughing at herself hysterically, the circumstances too ironic.

The movement was quick, quiet as soldiers were moved up and into position. Chrysalis gave her orders to her subordinates, six lieutenants who were nothing more than cadets. They were young, looking up at her with unquestioning faces as they listened to their instructions. There were nods, eyes alight in anticipation of battle. A few were nervous. All hid their fears the queen could clearly sense. This might have been too much to ask of them. Every one of them were within a year of Silent Wing's age.

Chrysalis felt like the monster she had been portrayed as.

"Be sure to stick to your squads and don't get separated," she said, having removed her helmet so she could speak to them and allow her warriors to see her face. "You've trained half your lives for this, sworn an oath to me, to your people. I in turn will swear to you I shall fight with you with all of my being. Remember; do not engage Queen Alzaera. We get in there quickly, use the element of surprise, remove as much of their officers as possible, and get the buck out. Do I make myself clear?"

They did.

"Good. Be sure to pass that on to the others. There are too few of us to get tangled up in a pitched battle. Leave that to the ponies. They've got the heavies for hoof to hoof trench warfare. Do not engage the enemy until we get to their headquarters. Repeat that back to me," she commanded sternly, her harlequin eyes blazing to emphasize her point.

Word for word the changelings did so.

Satisfied, Queen Chrysalis nodded. "Very good. All right, my children. Let's show these ponies how to win a battle."

They saluted, to which she returned with a curt nod, her eyes casting over each young face before they departed to pass the orders on. Turning away from them, the Queen donned her helmet, her magic tugging her mane through the plume hole. She closed her eyes, wondering why all of those faces had suddenly become the visage of her adopted son.

Brushing the thought away, she heaved a nervous breath, allowing her a moment to think of Atalanta first and foremost. Silent Wing was safe, far from war and on an airship. His last letter sent by dragonflame was now pulled from beneath the folds of her padding between her coat and armor. She opened it, reading his handwriting and wondering if the colt was ever going to learn how to spell salutations correctly. The monarch smiled, brushed her lips against the letter and placed it back home over her heart.

A pair of armored griffons arrived. Air cavalry, by their markings. "Queen Chrysalis," started the one to her left. "My unit will be providing your air cover and will be responsible for covering your retreat. We can keep the skies clear for you long enough for you to complete your mission. I imagine we can give you fifteen minutes at most before we are overwhelmed by sheer numbers."

"And you are?" she ventured, her voice like cold steel. Queen Chrysalis realized she was alone. However, she was hardly defenseless.

"Captain Blacktalon, ma'am," he grunted, barely acknowledging her rank. "Rumor has it you had your flank handed to you by Princess Luna."

"Captain," Chrysalis said darkly. "How about you follow your orders, do what you're paid to do and leave me and my changelings to do our jobs? Last I checked, neither one of us have a kingdom now, so I really don't think either one of us is in a position to spew misplaced bravado at the other." Her horn began to glow, crackling with her power. "If there is nothing else, might I suggest you get to your position?"

The black griffon scowled beneath his helmet, his yellow eyes flashing his annoyance. "Pray you succeed, Chrysalis. I doubt you have much at stake in this battle," he snarled, jabbing a talon at her.

"Sir!" his subordinate whispered harshly in his ear. "We do not have time for this."

"Bah! She is a changeling. Her kind care for nothing other than taking what was never theirs to begin with." He spat at the queen's hooves. "Parasites, the lot of you!"

Chrysalis flared her nostrils, widening her eyes as she stared back, her hooves clattering on the stones beneath her, tail swishing in anger. Baring her fangs, her wings became abuzz, lifting off her hooves. Glaring with rising hatred at Captain Blacktalon, she considered obliterating him right then and there, but stopped herself short as her horn sparked wild green energy.

"Ware your words, captain," she hissed in a dreadful voice. "A mere word and you are a bloody paste upon the ground. It is fortunate things in this world are far more important to me at this moment than hearing your dying screams rise to the heavens and to whatever ancestors you honor the most."

With that, she presented her plot to him and headed for her soldiers, manifesting for herself a magical scythe to wield in combat. It flickered green and black, crackling with tendrils of bright green energy, drifting at her right shoulder. She glanced up at the morning skies, the first rays of light beginning to glimmer on the horizon. Chrysalis could already make out the rolling hills before her, the multitude of campfires still glittering for as far as she could see. She noted her goal and the lines her changelings would have to overcome.

The ponies promised help. The griffons would provide air cover. The meeting had led her to believe there might be a chance of betrayal. She snorted at the idea. If there was to be a dagger in the back, it would not happen until she had at least fulfilled her part of her plan. Escape would be feasible, but there was one thing she felt she wanted to be made perfectly clear to the changelings who would follow her.

Upon landing, the stood at attention, solid sapphire eyes fixated upon her. Each face was its own little world of self doubt and bravado. She could smell the fear off each one, some more so than others. A scant few felt no fear. All would obey as she felt their love for her. All would do anything for her. The queen would be with them this day. It was the common soldier's dream.

"Bring them in," Queen Chrysalis commanded as she settled to the ground, cocking her weapon over her shoulder nonchalantly. Her lieutenants turned and quietly ordered the formations in until they formed a half circle in front of Chrysalis. "You are all still children in my eyes," she said gently, with a smile each one seemingly felt was for him. "You followed your prince in hopes of fighting along side him. I hope I am not a disappointing substitute."

They laughed as she smiled at them. Good. This put them at ease.

"I will be proud to lead you warriors into battle," she went on, drawing herself nearer to them until those in the front were close enough to almost be nose to chest with Chrysalis. "I am honored to have Emerald Sons stand with me on this day. Look upon each other, my children. You know with whom you fight. You know what it is you are fighting for. You have each other this moment, this day. You are brothers in arms, training for this very moment."

Her hoof selected one of the colts, lifting his chin up so she could gaze into his eyes. "Your name, child. What is it?" Chrysalis asked.

"Nibblewing, ma'am," he blurted proudly.

"I will fight for you," she promised. The queen released him, casting her gaze over the lot of them. "I will fight for all of you. If you are at my side, I will guard your flank. We fight to buy my son - your prince - time to complete a mission he had no choice but to accept. We cannot fail, my children. Failure is not an option."

She exhaled slowly, remembering Feidole.

"That is all. Back to your positions. Be ready to move."

They would perhaps have the easiest job this morning. Stay behind her and guard her flanks. As the Queen waited for the moment, she began to prepare the spell she would need. It would take a while to prepare as it required bracing herself mentally for the release. She knew what she wanted to do. She rose in the air upon gossamer wings humming in the morning light.

As soon as she heard the first round of roaring cannon fire, she watched where the impacts landed, her eyes catching them quite well despite the low light. They were brimming with her power, shimmering jades of harlequin doom funneling into her crooked horn. Snarling with unbridled rage, she unleashed her magic in a wide swath of green destruction, a cone at the gap where she knew the enemy was weakest. The artillery split from the point, walking a parallel course to the trenches beneath the arching rounds in two different direction.

Eighty changelings led by a queen rolled forward, even as a thousand Earth ponies and Unicorns emerged from hiding and surged forward. They had not expected Queen Chrysalis to add her own personal touch, her own anger, and her own point to make to every damn pony and griffon in the general vicinity. No, she was no Princess Celestia nor Princess Luna.

She had not always been a mother. The monarchy had once been but a distant thought for her in her younger years. Before the throne became her occupation, Chrysalis the princess had once been a general of her own army, having earned her own reputation as a fighter. It was on the battlefield she had honed her magical talents, not some safe place behind thick walls in a musty room with a bored teacher. No, Chrysalis had been blooded in battle long before her mother passed the throne down to her only child. Aside from international intrigue and court politics, her true love had been the sting of battle. It had once sang in her blood, taught her to use her mind before her brawn.

The banshee wail issuing from her lips as she brandished her summoned scythe before her, urging her changelings to follow her lead. They did so, feeding off her thirst for battle. Here, the old Chrysalis emerged, older than the mangle of matriarch representing her kingdom, far more instinctive than her motherly instincts. Here was the changeling thriving on instinct, living in the moment and simply letting go of everything weighing her down.

They drove down a corridor planned earlier at the meeting. The group hovered just above the earth, following the contours of the land and ignoring the pale changelings trying to pick themselves up from the smoking craters and the very wide and deep score the queen's magic had left in the ground. The battlefield seemed to tremble before her might, rumbling ahead of her, at the hill that was her goal. Chrysalis smiled eagerly.

A pale form rose to challenge her, but fell away in two pieces with a casual swipe of her weapon. The wind rushed past her as she picked up speed, glancing upward for a moment to see multiple dark forms, the thick and powerful lion bodies upon eagle wings, the first rays of the morning shining dully off razor sharp beaks. It seemed odd their armor would be the last to be touched by Celestia. The sun gleamed before them, the eastern sky.

Close now! More pale changelings were rising up to meet Chrysalis, but they were cut down by marauding talons of vengeful griffon soldiers. The ground infantry picked up the pieces, attempting to hold the escape route. They only needed to hold for a short time. Already Diamond changelings were bursting from nowhere and engaging. Small skirmishes merged together, becoming retaliatory probes before exploding into the first wave of a half-hearted counter attack. The surprise had been complete.

Queen Alzaera's personal guard rose up, large brutes in heavy armor and bearing halberds. Two dozen rose to meet the Emerald Queen Chrysalis. More were rising up now as it was now up to the changeling fighters behind Chrysalis to pick them up. They charged in without hesitation, screaming the moment before impact. Chrysalis swept a guard aside with contempt, obliterating his head from his neck with a blast of her magic.

He quarry emerged from her tent, outraged, thin black remnants of mane hanging from a tattered and ancient frame. The pale Queen of the Diamond Changelings Alzaera stared up through ruby harlequin eyes with hatred, her horn glowing with her own magic as the younger queen bore down upon her with the full glow of Celestia's glory glinting off her armor.

"You!" she shrieked at Chrysalis in an ancient disjointed voice, flashing her fangs and taking flight. "You are supposed to be dead!"

Chrysalis allowed herself a moment to drink in this shriveled form rising in front of her. This was indeed an old queen. Pathetic. Weak. Controlled by another. She could see Flamespyre's touch fully engulfing her counterpart's eyes. A quick probe into her mind with her magic confirmed what she already knew.

"I remember you not being so weak as to fight a war for a coward who hides behind others," taunted Chrysalis as she playfully swept her scythe from her right shoulder to her left. "Your wisdom was once something my mother lauded when I was still a princess."

"You abandoned the Master," spat Alzaera. She wore no armor, her naked form only protected by her natural armor. "You disobeyed he who created us all and gave us purpose. It will be a pleasure to kill you in his name."

The Emerald Queen laughed, charging forward. "Come then! Let us see how you fare, old nag!"

It was ridiculously easy. Queen Alzaera tried to put up a defense, but her shield was shattered upon a single blow of the younger changeling's powerful blow. Falling back rapidly, the pale changeling monarch screamed at Chryalis incoherently, spittle flying from her mouth as she cursed ancient words with multiple meanings. Her concentration was shattered and what magic she tried to throw at the raging Chrysalis was swept aside.

She already knew then Alzaera was a dying monarch. The sizzling magic in the air told her of a fading life force, a waning power with little time remaining. This enraged Chrysalis all the more as she had wanted a worthy opponent.

"Is that all there is to you?" she screamed, crushing the pale queen's defenses and grabbing her by the neck with her horn's magic. "Is this all I could expect of the only changeling I thought would ever rival my power? A dying slave of a monster who doesn't give a damn about your life?" Chrysalis hesitated, seeing the naked fear in the ruby eyes of the terrified queen. "You're not even worth the effort."

The earth rumbled again.

Chrysalis sensed it. Another magic belonging to something familiar to her by now. It was like Draccaria's but different.

"Battlesinger," she hissed, dropping Queen Alzaera's form. The old queen fluttered to the ground, gasping, her wings barely able to keep her from dropping like a rock.

The third rumbled ended in a shattering of the ground beneath her, a great claw emerging in a dark, shadowed form and gently taking up and ancient Queen of Diamonds. The beast was indeed a dragon, opposite in coloration to Scarheart, with black scales tipped blood red. Green orbs blazed from within armored sockets of bone ridges. The snout was broader, almost puglike in appearance as the heavy form continued to emerge from the shadow.

"Queen Chrysalis of the Emerald Kingdom, I am Blood Assault Battlesinger, eldest of the Dragonking Flamespyre's children and I challenge you to single combat," cried out a voice that shook the mountains.

Chrysalis backed away slowly, giving herself some distance between herself and the massive thing emerging from the hill. It just kept coming up, up, up. Bloody wings spread wide, blocking the sun's light from the mountain pass.

Queen Alzaera was cupped gently in the giant's claws, beneath his gaze, looking very tiny and very vulnerable. He finally emerged from the shadow. "Pull your changelings back and I shall pull mine. There is no need for wasted lives when two warriors such as ourselves can decide the day's fighting. What say you?" His smooth armored head turned to one side, regarding Chrysalis carefully, taking measure of the Emerald Queen. "I wish to test myself against the one who claims to be the greatest changeling sorceress in all the world."

Chrysalis weighed her options. Could she take him? His power seemed to be more physical than magical. How fast was he? Just because he was huge did not necessarily mean he was slow.

"I accept," she said simply. "I am so sick of your family. You take my daughter, try to make me kill my son. You turn my world upside down, manipulate my mind, take my kingdom out from under my nose." Her scythe exploded with her magic, her rage, her hatred. It shone like an emerald sun, echoing the power roaring in her eyes. The Queen's voice was calm, even and in complete control. "You'll be a fine start to the reckoning owed."

"A simple captain defeated you," rumbled the dragon. "Your bluff is very good. I am not convinced. Come." He took to the skies, erupting like a storm as his wings ripped the air apart. Griffons and pale changelings scattered like flies swatted aside. He released Queen Alzaera to her Royal Guard, the gasping queen staring still at Chrysalis in disbelief.

Chrysalis followed, her face impassive, mouth slightly agape as she ran her tongue over her fangs. It was her only indication of eagerness for the coming battle. Normally, she preferred subtle methods to victory like outsmarting her opponents and turning them against themselves. However she was still a huntress at heart.

Blood Assault was just a big lizard to be brought down. He was ancient, far older than the Queen. He was powerful. The scars on his body told a tale of extensive combat experience. The dragon was eager to fight, but already Chrysalis thought she had found his weakness. He was overconfident. He was proud. He oozed arrogance.

He could not sense magic. Otherwise he would have been paying attention to her reserves after the last blast she had unleashed to clear the path. Blood Assault had witnessed it and assumed Chrysalis had used most of her magic then and while assaulting the Diamond Queen. Since waking from her coma, Chrysalis had discovered a very deep well to her power.

"Interesting," she said to herself. "Interesting indeed."

"You may attack first," said the dragon politely, hiding his contempt behind his smile. Spreading his claws wide, be beckoned at her to come at him.

"Such a gentledragon." Chrysalis' crooked horn blazed anew, crackling with green lightning streaming to and from her conjured weapon. Searing magic erupted in a series of rapid bursts as she darted hard to her left, cloaking herself in darkness through black smoke broiling from her scythe.

Blood Assault ducked, easily avoiding the blasts as they passed harmlessly overhead. Distracted by the smoke, he used his nostrils to sniff out his foe. He inhaled deeply and unleashed a torrent of hellfire into the smoke, intending to flush the Queen from hiding. The smoke fell away from the blast.

No scream of pain greeted his ears. There was no changeling corpse reduced to ash. Snorting in annoyance, the massive head turned this way and that, his green eyes searching for his quarry. The spines along his back bristled, shimmering dark gold as the sun reflected off the dark scales. Muscles flexed and extended, blood pumping, the dragon listened with his ears for her heartbeat. He did not need to sense magic to listen to the movement within another living creature.

There! His snout lifted up, dropping down as he saw the small lithe form appear above him, weapon arched back and ready to sweep down. Chrysalis zipped downward, her eyes wide with deadly intent as she screeched maniacally, her scythe sweeping down. Every ounce of speed she could coax out of her wings pushed her towards her enemy.

A thin red line appeared across Blood Assault's muzzle as he could not fall away fast enough. Hissing more out of surprise than out of pain, he spat a jet of flame at the changeling and her accursed weapon. She darted away, her wings droning as if bored with the whole thing. The expression on her face did not share the sentiment. Chrysalis was far from finished with the dragon.

Chrysalis the Huntress had come to play.

"Impressive," roared the dragon. "Most impressive indeed! You may yet prove to be entertaining for me." Blood Assault went after her, snarling and spitting, claws flexing in anticipation of the kill. She was small, but very strong.

She said nothing, merely watching him, studying his moves, seeing where else she could strike at the dragon. Her harlequin eyes narrowed, her horn again glowing as she began to cast another spell. Words were not needed to be spoken, but her thoughts had to be clear and in order. There was a proper sequence in releasing certain spells, especially attacking magic. The huntress found what she was looking for, knowing now what she needed to do.

The huntress doubled back on herself, going straight for the dragon, her mane and tail streaming wildly behind her. She reared back again her weapon, shafts of sunlight passing through its dark magic. Her magic. She shifted the shape from the scythe into a lance, raising it high over her head as she drew nearer to the black and red dragon. Blood Assault saw what she was attempting to do and twisted head away. A weak blast from the broken horn distracted his attention for a split second.

Chrysalis teleported the lance the minute his eye rolled at her in annoyance. It entered through his left eye and exploded.

Blood Assault screamed as the earth received his blood from the hole in his head where his eye had been. He shrieked, tossing his head back and forth in agony as a claw clutched at the dreadful wound. Chrysalis again began building up her magic, darting past him and towards the sun. The huntress had only wounded the beast. Wounded prey tended to be more dangerous when they felt their lives were threatened.

She really did not give a damn.

Wheeling around, she watched as the dragon sought her out, still clutching his bleeding wound with a claw, not aware she was behind him. Another lance formed, then a second one. Setting herself squarely, she hurled one past her right shoulder with the toss of her head, ears flat as she grit her fangs in the effort behind the throw. It sailed straight and true, straight for the middle of the dragon's back. It pierced his thick hide, entered into a lung, and exploded. More blood erupted from another wound. Blood Assault flinched, too shocked at the pain to cry out for a moment. He spun around, whirling until his one remaining eye spied her out.

"I'll kill you," he shrieked, sucking wind as his wings beat upon the air ragged now.

The huntress readied the second lance, listening not to his words, but instead listening to the magic within her. It sang in her ears like she had never heard it before, unleashing a power she knew she had never had before. The ferocity of her own magic stunned her, making her wonder if her own love had unlocked it. Such a thought did not come to the huntress at that time as the kill neared.

"Will you now?" she asked, the lance rotating by her head, spinning, the conjured form turning over and over slowly.

Chrysalis again called forth her magic, readying her killing blow. The dragon was breathing hard, no doubt troubled by his own blood filling a lung. Then there were the internal injuries unseen. As much as she wanted to see Blood Assault suffer, she was eager to simply end the fight. She hurled her third lance, heaving it as though it were a physical object, screaming in rage from all she, her kingdom, and her children had suffered. The magical object expanded, grew even as the huntress threw a holding spell on the massive form. It would not hold, but it would slow the dragon enough for the inevitable strike.

The lance did so, in the center mass of the chest.

Chrysalis stayed the execution. Blood Assault had expected the end, but instead stared at the changeling queen with sudden rage. "You mock me!" he screeched, coughing up blood. "I am defeated! Finish me, you witch."

Hurriedly the Queen hurled more binding magic around the dragon, holding him in place. She wanted to see something, sensing this whole victory might be far more hallow. Defeating the dragon had simply been too easy. Instead, she glanced down at the ground.

Queen Alzaera was staring up at her, her horn glowing with magic.

Chrysalis understood, withdrawing her magic from Blood Assault. She began to cast another spell, furious with herself for not catching it before. Then, she teleported, reappearing behind the old queen. The lance shifted, altered form until it was a dagger pointed at the base of the ancient queen's skull. The two guards with her suddenly fell to the ground, their insides literally on fire as Chrysalis ignited their intestines with a fire spell. They writhed on the ground in agony.

"Clever illusion spell," she whispered into the white queen's ear. It flickered nervously as Alzaera released her magic. Blood Assault wavered, disappeared.

"How did you know?" asked the old queen with genuine curiosity.

Chrysalis laughed. "You can't even come close to the strength and magic of a dragonling, old one. It was obvious when my magic penetrated his so easily. It was obvious when you could not tell my own power had increased. Thus you were not sure and decided to test me with this illusion. Clever, clever old girl!"

Alzaera sighed, slumping her shoulders in defeat. "What will you do now?"

"What do you think?" Chrysalis snarled, suddenly very angry. "Do you have any idea the emotions you toyed with?"

"I felt them," the white queen admitted, shaking. "Such things a queen should not feel. It makes you weak."

"Funny you should say that," laughed the Emerald Queen mirthlessly.

She rammed the dagger home, past the hilt until the magic was fully in the old queen's head. The wide-eyed pale changeling stiffened, not believing what was happening.

"How did you come by this power?" she rasped, desperate to know as the inevitable came to claim her.

"By such things a queen should not feel," replied Chrysalis with a shrug.

She unleashed the magic.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**The Art of Meddling**

_My Dear Son,_

_Yesterday I, your glorious and beautiful mother did score for herself and her allies a magnificent victory against Queen Alzaera. You remember my stories about her when I was a filly, don't you? Well, she proved to be as cunning and resourceful as I thought she would be, but what changeling is a match for me? Hmm? _

_As much as I would love to declare this a victory (and I assure you, it is the first significant win for the good guys), it will be but a brief respite as now our enemies are aware I am again roaming about the world. No doubt there is a great gnashing of teeth and punishments abound. I grow giddy at even the mere thought I have ruined some poor sod's day._

_Your changelings fought well. You should be proud of them. They have been remarkable and irreplaceable assets under my command. I will be needing them a bit longer._

_Celestia's indifference with her own government has a name. It is Battlesinger. One lurks within the walls. I shall seek this dragon out. I have a few ideas I wish to try, but right now I have eyes and ears searching for confirmation to my suspicions. I fear Celestia's magic will be needed and soon._

_As to the notes regarding this strange book you found in Flamespyre's former lair, there is nothing as of yet from Celestia's expansive library. However, there are many other books still to go through. An army of sharp eyes seek the forgotten shelves of Canterlot's knowledge. You will be surprised to know this is one thing that has not affected Celestia's curiosity for ancient knowledge. She has sequestered herself in her quarters with volume upon volume of old works coming in and out. I get with her when I can and we compare notes. The similarities between her symptoms and what mine had been are eerie._

_Oblivion is something from our legends, my little morsel. It is the name of a great spell Flamespyre attempted to create to feed upon the emotions of the world. Changelings were to have brought these feelings and magic to this Oblivion as sacrifices. This is all we have been able to discover at this point._

_Currently there is a sense of victory as the news of the battle has swept like wildfire. We know it is but a breather, but it was also one we needed badly. Hopefully it will buy me time to figure out how to break this spell our resident Battlesinger has upon the world's 'most beloved' princess._

_May my love sustain you through all the miles._

_Chrysalis_

Silent Wing read the letter over several more times on the observation deck on board the _Aurora_. Spike had just delivered the letter courtesy of Princess Celestia. The letter was a mix of good and bad news. It was nearing sunset, the nose of the airship aimed at the point where Celestia's charge touched the horizon. Luna would be up soon to raise her namesake. This was the one responsibility she held to every day still even though she was no longer home. She might be interested in this letter. The prince held it up for a moment, then rolled and tucked his mother's letter under his wing. He noted the clouds building up. It would rain tonight.

Next to his hooves on the deck was the wooden case containing one of the ship's spare sextant Gilda had lent the prince as he prepared to study the stars and plotting the ship's course through charting. Next to that was his personal log beneath a smaller notebook. A quill pen rested on small wooden holder with a glass inkwell. Already the first stars of the evening were beginning to twinkle in the gleam of onsetting twilight.

Behind him, four ponies were busy swabbing the deck. They had been discovered as stowaways just a few days ago. Even now Applejack supervised their labor with scrub brushes and buckets of soapy water. Lightning Dash, Red Apple, Green Apple, and Unique had been found out while attempting to raid the ship's kitchen two nights ago. The adults had all been upset, of course. Captain Gilda was incensed at having ponies sneaking on board her ship. The fact they were all minors had her banging her head against the palm of her open talon.

The phrase, "Why me?" became her mantra for a good minute. Finally, she had decided to let the respective parents handle their offspring in their own way, declaring they would work just like the rest of the crew the remainder of the voyage. By now, they were far out over the ocean and deep into unknown waters. Luna declared it was too late to turn back.

Nopony was going to argue with the Princess of the Moon. She had the final say as she was leading the expedition.

Half a month had gone by since then. The newly impressed crew members did their chores, resigned to their punishment. They felt bad for sneaking on board, wanting to be a part of whatever adventure was to come. Silent suspected they felt bad for getting caught, but their stomachs had betrayed them. Instead they found work, more work, and even more work after that. Every waking moment they were doing something. Captain Gilda decided - after discussing over dinner with their parents - to educate the youngsters in how to maintain an airship. They were engaged in day-to-day operations of the ship, cleaning schedules, maintenance schedules, duty rosters, weather reading, mapping, and kitchen duties. Like most ponies, the four took to their duties with interest. Eventually the chores became a daily tedium and they had yet to see any adventuring at all. This freed up time for others to train.

The routine on board the ship for Silent Wing was simple; in the morning he would get up from his bunk, have breakfast with his changelings and begin morning workouts. Then he would go about the ship and see where he was needed, helping out. Then it was lunch. After eating, he would spend time with the captain and learn how to pilot an airship. This meant some evenings on the observation deck with the sextant and learning about how to navigate by the stars. Luna would add her own observations as she herself studied the colt with curiosity and a slowly growing sense of frustration as she tried to figure out what triggered his sudden loss of confidence around mares such as herself. He was fine one minute, then would change and become a stuttering foal.

She was becoming more determined to figure him out despite those frustrations. It was clear he liked her, still uncomfortable. The distance from home did not prevent her from shirking her duties. The dark Alicorn still raised the moon and guarded over the dreams of the sleeping ponies below decks. She once made a comment to Silent Wing one morning on how strange changeling dreams were, adding she was pleased to see he had been dreaming of her. The colt blushed furiously and mimed Fluttershy perfectly the duration of breakfast.

Perhaps the Queen's little proclamation at the farewell dinner had something to do with the renewed shyness, she surmised. Luna had that supposition spot on. Silent Wing was now a nervous wreck because he felt his mother expected him to have a working relationship by the time he returned. He was putting too much pressure on himself.

They followed a line marked by the magical map in Silent Wing's possession, stopping at the few islands they came across appearing to have at least fresh water to top off their tanks. The enchantment on the ship to make her travel faster had worn off long ago, requiring a daily charging by several powerful casters with a specialized acceleration spell. It was not available when the book containing the spell mysteriously disappeared. Now the _Aurora_ simply moved by conventional means, her engines managing with a strong tailwind to push her along at almost seventy miles per hour.

Silent paused from his musings to glance again over his shoulder at Lightning Dash and his other new friends he had made shortly after arriving in Canterlot. It was nice being around others near his age who did not judge him immediately by his appearance. If anything, Silent Wing would look just like them if not for his fangs and two changeling legs. He had offered to help them numerous times with their punishment detail, but he had been politely but firmly rebuffed, especially by Applejack. He wanted to help, but the others seemed sullenly resigned to finishing out their punishment.

The prince sighed, feeling bad for them. His wandering thoughts switched to his own guard, his warriors. Frakas was currently leading the other changelings on reconnaissance patrols. They were in groups of two, flying overlapping oval patterns linking each other in a mile radius around the ship. They would not be back for several hours as they were also using the opportunity to get their long distance wings. Flying in unknown territory had every pony a little bit leaning towards the nervous side.

Then there was that dark book found in Flamespyre's abandoned lair. Two days after leaving Canterlot, the ship arrived at the marked spot on Silent's wonderous magical map. It was a large plateau in the middle of a mountain range. It was all wilderness, on the border of Equestria and not far from the border with the Dread Wastes and the Emerald Kingdom. They were very close to the front. They had trouble finding the entrance and spent several fruitless hours searching.

Then Pinkie Pie, who had somehow learned a little chant only dragons knew sang a little poem and a cave appeared before the group. When asked about it, she simply grinned and said her second best dragon friend had taught her the song in thanks for showing him how to pretend to be a rooster. Within they found an empty cave, with signs of it once being a dragon's lair. Silent Wing heard a strange song in his head and followed it to its source. He came across a book with two arcane words scrawled across it. It was very old. Yet the colt understood it. Several dead forms lay around it, burnt and charred from the wards guarding it.

The words upon it were 'For Oblivion'.

Silent believed his immunity to magic was intended for him to reach through the wards and to the chagrin of his companions, he did just that. Upon taking it in his hooves, the image of Flamespyre appeared, a magic spell left there to be activated upon the touch of Silent's hoof upon the book.

The illusion spoke a single sentence, _"Come to Kahsoon, my son." _Then it was gone, along with the ward guarding the book.

For some reason, only Silent could make out the words in the book, but only a few. The pages swirled and changed, the letters dancing like spiders if he tried read it. It was as though the book was only allowing him to see certain phrases and carefully selected words. He tried to show Luna the words, but she could not make them out and suggested he write down the ones he could make out. Magic was structured carefully in this book, she believed to prevent unwanted eyes from deciphering its secrets.

So far, he had one sentence. It confused him. It lay on the first page of his notebook, still closed as his golden gaze settled upon it.

_One must die to complete the other or it cannot come to pass._

It was opened again, unbidden by his desire to understand what he could not. His hoof held the thin book open. Silent did not recall pulling it towards him and flipping the cover over. He realized his handwriting was rather sloppy and uncharacteristically so. The colt still had issues writing with his mouth. His fangs tended to get in the way. Still, this was unusual even for him to have mouth writing like a foal's.

His headaches had returned, like when he was having the nightmares. Since leaving Equestria, they had returned. It had been hard to concentrate lately, his mind drifting off to Creator knows where. The colt was remembering them now, these dreams. A different dragon was in his them now, one vaguely familiar and equally as frightening as his father if not more so. This one was black as the shadows and had golden eyes. It said nothing to him, but stood upon a mountain of bones with tattered banners flapping on the winds of death. Great wings like a death shroud hung loosely about his body, swathed in magic similar to what the Alicorns Celestia and Luna had with their manes and tails. It uttered nothing, save for one word he could not make out quite yet just before waking up.

The dragon was... waiting for him?

Somepony nudged him gently. Startled, Silent Wing snapped his muzzle to his left and found Luna looking at him with concern in her eyes.

"Thy thoughts are adrift," she said gently, taking a seat next to him. Luna maintained a bit of space between their shoulders. For some reason, she felt archaic speech put the colt more at ease around her. "What troubles thee, my friend?"

Silent shook his head and offered a weak smile. "I've got a lot on my mind, Luna. I'm sorry, what were you saying before?"

"I asked thee if thou art well," she replied with a upturned twist in the corner of her mouth. Her eyes flickered to his wing, noting a feather out of place. Then another. And another. Luna frowned. "Thy grooming needs attending, young prince. Whence didst thou last preen thy wings?"

Silent glanced down at himself. "I forgot to," he said lamely. With his research and additional duties he placed upon himself, he had started to neglect his own appearance. Flight had been the last thing from his mind. The prince wanted to fly, but he felt his own responsibilities weighed him down.

Luna sighed. "Present unto me thy wing, Prince Silent Wing," she commanded, holding out a hoof.

He flipped his wing out and wrapped it around his chest, hugging it protectively with both hooves. "I'm not used to others touching my wings," he said nervously. He squeaked as Luna leaned forward.

Silent Wing really did not have anypony helping him learn how to take care of his wings while growing up. He had to figure it out on his own since no other changeling had feathers. The last time anypony had touched them was at the military academy when three bullies tried to bully the smaller prince. They tried to pluck his primary feathers out, sending Silent Wing into a furious rage. A tremendous battle of epic proportions erupted in the middle of the hallway, disrupting classes and sending students pouring out to see the fight. No winner was determined as the headmaster separated the combatants, but Silent Wing inadvertently kicked the bigger stallion in the shin trying to get one last shot at one of his antagonists. Mother had been amused at the incident, only asking if he had won the fight that very night.

"Oh, bother!" Luna reached over and gently grasped his wing with a hoof. "You are going to take a break from your work and relax this evening! You are as bad as Twilight in your work." She had dropped her archaic tongue and focused solely on the wing now in her grasp. Starting with the outer primaries, she set her teeth to the first feather and gently began cleaning.

Silent could only squeak again.

* * *

Later that evening, five ponies and a dragon were gathered together in the converted parlor now serving as the main ship's galley. Soon another nightly meeting would begin to discuss the day and go over a few things. Before the official business would begin, the friends already there discussed family and social issues they were currently interested in. The theme had already been decided. Gathering together like a pack of conspiring diamond dogs, the friends had serious business on their agenda that night requiring their utmost attention. The subject of the evening's discussion was a certain adopted child of a certain changeling queen recently given permission to court a certain princess of the moon. The problem? Nothing was happening. At all.

Before them lay the remnants of a chocolate cake, baked by Pinkie Pie earlier for just this occasion. One slice was slowly working its way before the pink pony as her friends appeared indifferent to the slow pilfering.

"All right, girls," Applejack said at the table where her friends were now gathered. "Ah'm normally not the sort of gal who'll stick a hoof in somepony's business but that Silent Wing is drivin' me plum loco with his shyness."

"I think it's cute," said Fluttershy quietly, offering a small smile. She was sipping on a glass of mulberry wine, her little cheeks already rosey. Nestled in the corner between Rainbow Dash and Applejack, she was blissfully buzzed.

"He's a good kid," added Rainbow Dash, already on her third mug of hard cider. "He's adorkable. Any of you girls notice that squeak of his?" She grinned into her mug as she took another pull. Heads generally bobbed in agreement with her noticing The Squeak.

"Dashie, dear," Rarity piped up, smiling as she sipped her own glass of wine. "Since when is 'adorkable' a word?" She tossed her mane, idly reaching over to scratch Spike behind one of his ears. He responded by grinning like an idiot. The Unicorn was currently using him as her personal couch. "I would think the application of such a word would not apply to a prince."

"Blueblood," reminded Applejack openly with a grin.

"Oh, such a harsh thing to do to poor Silent Wing, comparing him to that cretin!" Rarity waved off the mention of the Unicorn prince's name. The last time she checked, the nephew of Princess Celestia and Princess Luna was still painfully single. For some reason, it made her smile just to think about it. "For one thing," she purred, snuggling into Spike, "he has manners, is very polite. Though he does have a rather wild streak to him."

"His technique is sloppy," blurted Pinkie Pie at the receiving end of a large slice of cake. "Leaves himself wide open. He needs to close his stance and stay lower to the ground. His balance is way, way, waaaaay off. One mean punch and his kicks are solid. He can't block to save his life. I think I may have to have words with that blind bird teaching him. Though Tseng Tzu is a really, really, really neat griffin, I'm sure he can't see the technique needs refining. I mean, that form of griffin-do jujitsu is soooooo outdated. And yes, I love Silent Wing's squeak." She opened her mouth wide and shoved the slice into her awaiting maw.

Rainbow blinked at Pinkie, covering her face with a hoof. "How do you know that stuff, Pinkie? I've never even seen you even practice any martial arts. You're a party pony!"

Slightly offended, the pink pony sat up, placing a hoof on her chest. "I'll have you know I do exercises every morning to prepare for a long day of planning parties, going to parties, setting up parties and making ponies happy. Do you think I just wake up and get limbered up straight into doing those things? Nope, nope! I practice the arts to loosen up and get ready for my day! It's great exercise and gives me energy. I did a lot - and I mean a LOT - of research into the right martial art to practice for maximum cardiovascular endurance and griffin-do jujitsu was perfect for somepony as active as I am. And you know parties have to be made. They don't just happen!" She grinned, her lips covered with chocolate crumbs and icing.

"I believe it," muttered Spike, rolling his eyes as he smirked. "Trust Pinkie to find something utterly random to surprise ponies with."

"Stay on topic, girls," Applejack thumped the top of the table with a hoof, making her own mug of cider bounce a couple of times. "What are we goin' to do about Silent Wing? We'll start out by our own personal observations of this colt. Let's be honest, we don't know him all that well but we like him. Luna's also taken a shine to him and he's done the same to her, even if he ain't noticed it yet. Agreed?"

All but two bobbed in agreement. Spike was shaking his head, mouthing his preferred phrase when something ill advised was being planned.

Fluttershy placed both her hooves on the table and leaned forward wearing a mask of concern. "Um, I don't think I like where this is going. We should let things happen naturally and in their due time. If you don't mind me saying."

"Yeah," Rainbow grunted as she rolled her eyes. "Naturally _slow_. If we let nature take its course, then nothing is going to happen. The kid's too timid! I don't know how he got to be like that, but I'd probably be like him too if my mom was Chrysalis. How can you get confidence around females when your mom is _her_?"

"Interesting point," Rarity said as she narrowed her brilliant blue eyes and contemplated her wine. "If his mother is indeed the cause of his shyness, then how do we pull out the stallion within him for Luna's benefit?"

"Chrysalis is intimidatin', that's fer sure," Applejack added, adjusting her hat as she scrunched her nose. "Ah'm goin' to make a proposal of attackin' the problem aggressively, but honestly. I think we should - whatever we plan to do - be forward and up front about it to the boy. If we tell him what we're tryin' ta do for him, it might get him to relax."

"Too much alcohol," muttered Spike under his breath. A sober Applejack would never suggest such a thing and mind her own business, he believed.

"What was that, Spikey Wikey?" Rarity asked him archly.

"Nothing."

"This isn't just about the kid," Dash slammed her now empty mug on the table. "This is about finding Luna that special pony every good mare deserves! We don't know if Silent Wing has what it takes to make her happy, but I think as friends of the princess, it is our duty to find out personally if he's got what it takes to make her a happy mare. We'll have to explore everything about him. His personality, his strengths, his weaknesses, what he likes, what he hates. That sort of mushy stuff I don't have interest in!" Her grin suggested otherwise.

"Really?" Pinkie Pie looked at her wide-eyed and innocent. Those blue eyes narrowed as she grinned at her chromatic maned friend. "I've seen the way you look at his wings. You want to race him!"

"He's a bit on the small side," shrugged the pale blue mare indifferently. She nearly sobered herself as she followed it with, "But you girls haven't seen his muscle structure on those wings. The tone is better than anything I've seen!" Rainbow Dash was nearly drooling at the mere thought of flying with the colt. She loved competitions and winning them.

"Dashie," said Applejack sternly. It was a poor attempt at being serious. "Don't you be goin' cougar on us now. He's just a little older than your own colt. Half your age. You'd best be keepin' that in mind." She had always been bad acting out something she didn't feel.

"What are you implying?" demanded the blue mare. "That I'd go chasing a kid for casual bucking? I'd never do something like that, AJ." She glared at her friend, the corner of her mouth twitching at a smile.

"Your blushin' face suggests you were thinkin' it," the plump Earth pony teased.

"Um, really Luna is handling it fine." Fluttershy leaned back, her eyes darting between her friends as she shrank into her corner. "And Dash wouldn't do anything to upset Luna. I don't think she would. I think that would be bad if she did. Very bad." She shrank further back into her corner, her eyes darting back and forth apprehensively.

As Applejack and Rainbow Dash stared each other down and argued the merits of openly ogling young colts and being a bit more respectful than that, Spike was pondering something else.

"You know, he's got dragon in him, if I remember reading that correctly," he said to Rarity, whose eyes darted between her verbally sparring friends as if she was following a pinpoint of light without moving her face.

"I beg your pardon, dear?" she shook her head and snuggled again. "You were saying?"

"If he's got dragon in him, do you suppose he can breathe fire?"

Pinkie had leaned over to hear the dragon. Her eyes went round. "Do you really think he can do that? A fire breathing pony?" She stood up straight in her chair, contemplating the ramifications of this possibility, should it be true. "Oh, he'd be great at parties!"

Oddly, her happiness died right there as if she was seeing a vision appear right in front of her eyes.

"Oh, no, I suppose it wouldn't go the way I'd expect it to. Nevermind. Super-duper bad idea." She plopped back down, her face suddenly pale as if she had seen a ghost. Her poofy pink hair went flat. Rocking back an forth while hugging her legs to her. "Really bad. Definitely bad. Super not fun bad."

All talking ceased as every eye at the table was drawn to this very strange and disturbing display. Worred expressions were exchanged until Spike's tail lifted up and tapped the wigging pink pony cautiously on the shoulder. "Um, Pinkie?" he asked as he instinctively clutched Rarity protectively. "Are you all right?"

Her eyes had gone to pinpoints now, going askew of each other. "Cupcakes," she giggled with a touch of insanity in her laugh. Then she shook her head, hair poofing back up to normal. "Sorry everypony!" she chirped gleefully. "Must have zoned out right there. I just remembered I made cupcakes for everyone, too! Be right back." With that, she hopped to her hooves and bounced towards the kitchen, humming her famous smile song.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her head as she and the rest of her friends stared after the daparting pony. "I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, but for some reason I really want to change the subject now."

None of the girls or the dragon objected to that.

"Ah'm fine with that," agreed AJ with a cough. Just then her husband trotted in from the hall and made a beeline for her once his eyes spied her out. She saw him coming and scooted over, patting a spot next to her. "We'll discuss it later. For now, let's just put it on the back burner."

Blazing Cruise needed no invitation as he greeted the girls and Spike for the old friends they were. They had fifteen years to figure out the old Pegasus was a very solid and sensible pony with a twisted sense of humor when it could be coaxed out of him. The old military veteran's first meeting with Applejack had been during the unnatural hurricane fifteen years ago when he had cast his wing over her in the driving rain and howling winds.

He was firm and gentle with his children and fair. It was hard for him to show them affection, but he found other ways to show his appreciation for what he had. Applejack was very good to him and he did his best with who he was to return the love she gave him. Over the years, the two had become the typical vision of a country couple; hardworking and loving life together through good times and bad. Applejack's plumpness from bearing four children had done nothing to change how the military veteran saw her. When they were together, those who did not know they were husband and wife might have confused them for father and daughter at first glance.

Cruise joined his wife, grinning at his friends until his eyes settled on Rarity and Spike. "You two need to just get married and be done with it," he said.

"All good things," Rarity answered, batting her eyes at him. "Besides, Spike makes a fine couch."

Spike blushed and cleared his throat. "Yeah, we're working on that. And I am a comfortable couch."

"Is Gilda coming to join us?" Rainbow Dash asked hopefully.

The older stallion nodded. "She said she would."

Unexpectedly, Spike asked a question no doubt in the back of every pony's mind. "I wonder how Twilight's doing? I mean, is she okay? Is Star Journey okay? We don't know what's happening to them right now."

"That's why we all agreed to come on this trip," Rarity reminded him. "We all want them back and home."

"We've just got to be patient, sugarcube," Applejack told him. "Ah tell myself that every morning when I wake up and remember Ah'm on this ship." Her voice was sympathetic and understanding. "We know she and Star are in a bad spot right now. Keep in mind that colt travelin' with us has a sister who's with them. He's in the same burnin' barn we are."

"I know," Spike said sullenly. "It's just that it feels like this trip is taking forever. I think about her every day and keep thinking I should have been there to protect her."

"You would have been but another victim," Luna called out firmly as she appeared at the doorway. Behind her was a freshly preened Silent Wing toting a bag fill of everything he had up on deck. He had also managed to fetch his map. "Flamespyre is nothing to be trifled with, friend Spike."

Outside it began to rain. The pitter patter of drops striking the ship could be heard throughout the length of the lighter than air hull. The room had gone eerily quiet until a certain chromatic mare chased away the silence.

"Just a squall," Rainbow announced as she studied the drops glistening off the soft glow emanating from the enchanted skin of the _Aurora_. "Should make for a nice sleeping weather."

Scattered throughout the ship were little electronic speakers in wooden boxes where announcements were made. It was normally done from the communications room. In this case, the announcement almost echoed the former weather pony's assessment of the weather. The speaker's voice was tinny through the system, sounding almost bored.

Room was made for the newcomers. Another table was scooted a short distance and joined with the current one. Silent began pulling his map out and rolling it on the table. "Hey guys," he greeted them as he did so. "Are we missing somepony?"

"That old blind griffin and Gilda," said Rainbow Dash. "Why don't you head on up to the bridge and get them, kiddo?"

The changeling prince nodded with a smile. "I'll be back with them soon." He turned and trotted out. Before exiting, he paused and asked, "What about Lightning Dash, Red, Green, and Unique?" Hope was on his features.

"Still on punishment and confined to their rooms," answered Applejack firmly.

Crestfallen, the colt sighed and went to fetch the griffins.

Inquiring eyes followed him out, leaving Luna, Spike, and Blazing Cruise staring at them in puzzlement. Spike knew what was going on and covered his face with a paw.

"This will not end well," he muttered to himself.

By now Pinkie Pie returned, bouncing along as she carried a tray of cupcakes in her mouth. The pink pony set it carefully on the table, just as Luna deftly snatched the map out before the tray was set on top of it.

The same inquiring eyes suddenly rested upon the dark blue Alicorn princess. She was completely oblivious as she had in her magic grasp Silent's letter from his mother. "I have new which might please you all," she announced with a smile. "Our armies have earned their first victory of the war."

The small group cheered and leaned forward as she waved the letter in the air before them.

"Our forces were led by none other than," - Luna paused for effect - "Queen Chrysalis herself!" She was rewarded by gasps of disbelief.

"No bucking way," rasped Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were as wide as everypony else. "Why would she do that? I mean, she's Chrysalis!"

Fluttershy leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I think it's because she's fighting for her daughter. Don't mind me."

Rainbow Dash tried to find fault with the statement. "Oh," she said, a bit abashed. "Well, good for us!"

Luna then spent the next several minutes going over the details of the battle from the report her sister Celestia had sent her. She avoided making any mention of her sister's strange enchantment, having forced herself to allow the queen to deal with this problem. An internal disaster in Canterlot had to be avoided at all costs. The only pony powerful enough to deal with it was Silent Wing's mother. It was extremely difficult for the Alicorn to put faith in an old enemy. But she trusted her sister's letter.

The news called for a fresh round of drinks.

"So," Dash was smiling at Luna. "How would you say things are going between you and Silent Wing?"

Blazing Cruise sprayed his drink, engaged in a coughing fit. Applejack pounded on her husband's back, throwing a shocked look of amazement at her friend's audacity. "Rainbow Dash!" she breathed, her green eyes wide at the rudeness.

Unruffled, Luna looked at the chromatic maned mare. "Do you understand what a courtship means for royals, especially for changelings?" she asked as she selected a cupcake from the tray.

"Something about working towards an engagement, isn't it?" asked the blue mare.

"Yes, but it does require a lot of formality. And there are certain rules. Oh, my yes there are always rules concerning these things." Luna carefully peeled the paper from her cupcake, revealing the chocolate cake beneath it. "You see, my friends," she said, casting her eyes around the table, "The changeling royals do not understand love the way we do. They are aware of it, understand it, but have a completely different point of view. For them, it is a source of strength from which they get power to their magic. It is even a food to them, as you are all aware. They could have not a scrap of food, yet if there is a pony upon which they can consume love from, then there is no need for physical sustenance. A very curious ability, would you not agree?" She nibbled her treat, taking a bit of frosting with the first bite. "This is very good, Pinkie Pie."

"Thank you!" gushed Pinkie happily. She began passing out more cupcakes.

"As I was saying, with courtship and changelings, it's not so much as falling in love as the hopeful intention you might think," she went on, delicately licking a bit of frosting from her lip. "But it's with the intention the intended get alone with each other and don't try to kill each other in the long run. It is completely allowable in changeling culture for the female to assume the dominating role between the couple. Queen Chrysalis is a prime example of that, in case you have not noticed. Why, it is even rumored she devoured the father of her own daughter soon after conceiving the little princess."

Luna helped herself to another bite as startled gasps echoed around the room. After waiting for the din to die down, she continued, having them completely hooked. "For changelings, there is never a king. There is always a queen. Males in changeling society are almost always dominated and have always been so. By entering into a courtship with Silent Wing upon Queen Chrysalis' invitation, I can by rights kill him if he displeases me. By changeling law, I would not be held responsible for his death due to my own status as royalty. In short, this courtship is not so much in pursuit of love, but simply for compatibility."

"You mean," Applejack stammered, "you kin, if you find you don't fancy Silent Wing..." She drew her hoof across her throat and made a sound.

"Yes." Luna took another succulent bite.

Silent Wing returned with Tseng Tzu and Gilda behind him. "Found them!" he sang out.

Everypony in the room was staring at him, save for one confused captain and a blind old teacher who seemed to know exactly what had been said and discreetly slid away from the colt.

"Nooooooo!" Pinkie Pie cried out, suddenly engulfing Silent Wing in a massive hug.

Silent Wing could only squeak through the hug.

Luna grinned and finished her cupcake. She did so love to hear that squeak.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**The Nervous Life of a Male Changeling**

Lightning Dash and his friends spent several days on punishment before his mother and father had gathered the quartet before Princess Luna one evening. His mom was till not happy with what he had done, but she had forgiven him. Rainbow Dash was sitting next to him, letting her sore colt lean against her. He had just finished scrubbing the ship's skin to prevent mildew from forming after going through another rain squall. After several hours of scrubbing with a thick bristled brush the work was deemed done by the detail officer. The _Aurora_ was now above the clouds, the starry skies twinkling down through the warm evening breeze. Everything from his neck on down felt as though somepony had been beating it with a two by four.

Rainbow Dash swelled a little with pride as her colt had endured his punishment without uttering too much complaining. Sure, he had mentioned several times how much he didn't like his tasks, but never too loud and never in too sour of a mood. He still did the best he could. She hooked a hoof around his shoulders and mussed the top of his mane.

The chromatic mare was a bit nervous around Luna these days. She had not been told, nor had the rest of her friends Silent Wing could possibly be an Immortal. Nor was Luna inclined to let them in on the details she had placed before them at the table. She was having fun with this and wanted to ride it a little bit longer. Better still was letting Silent Wing in on her explanation to her friends to avoid problems. Perhaps this would be what he would need to pull him out of his shell around mares. It seemed to be improving his disposition towards them as well as herself. If he could just explain why he was so timid!

This would please the princess and perhaps give her more insight on changelings.

Survival was his instinct around females, she was beginning to understand. Changeling society, she found out could be quite brutal and especially to an adopted chimera. Loneliness still plagued her dreams, as if something she should have remembered was not coming to mind. Luna could not explain her connection to Silent other than the belief he was alike for grown up so terribly alone. The glaring difference was Luna had forced her sister's hoof so long ago. The colt's circumstances might be more tragic as his imprisonment was due to the society in which he had grown. Luna had been imprisoned because of her jealousy of her sister.

Something Flamespyre had told her the first time she had visited the colt's dreams nagged at her. He had mentioned a familiarity to her ties to Nightmare Moon. Why?

She wanted the colt's friendship more than anything else, promising herself to not do anything he might misunderstand as an intent of something serious. It was beginning to dawn on her the most probable reason as to his apprehension towards attractive females. Silent Wing made a wonderful friend when it was made perfectly clear intentions were nothing but that. She also began to figure out his senses were very sensitive indeed. A conversation with his top changeling Frakas had opened a whole new perspective to Silent Wing and male changelings on a whole (though finding the little changeling was like trying to find a cat wanting to not be found). The Alicorn began to understand it was not just the visual stimulus affecting the colt, but the smells he was detecting had a great deal to do with it. He could also sense emotions like any changeling.

It had been a very interesting insight to changelings and Luna berated herself mentally for not understanding this earlier.

"Not until you are ready and only when you are ready," she had told Silent a little later on one of those nights he studied the stars - her night. "For now, I am pleased to call you and count you as a friend." They shook hooves. Luna had been very careful to conceal her emotions.

It worked somewhat. The progress was slow, but noticable. He was squeaking with less frequency.

Silent still squeaked around the other mares, save for Applejack. For some reason, he had adopted her as a sort of mother figure. Perhaps it had something to do with the way she looked at him, as a colt and a friend to her boys. The plump country mare also treated him like one of her own and he responded in kind, his expression almost wistful as if to wonder what might have been. Luna could only imagine the sort of childhood he had under Chrysalis. What she did know was his bond with his adoptive mother was strong and unusual. Something more than just a typical bond between a mother and son existed between the two. No, it was something else entirely. Luna was beginning to wonder about this.

This had been several nights ago. Now she had to release the children sitting before her with their respective parents and assign them regular duties with the others. The Alicorn noted how tired they were and heard how hard they had worked to atone for stowing away on the airship. Captain Gilda stood off to the side, her eyes peering out intently from beneath the blue cap with gold braiding along the border of the bill. The griffin's expression was impassive.

Behind her stood her First Officer Flick with a pen and log book to annotate where the youngsters would be placed for the duration of the voyage. He had a dark brown plumage and was a rather burly griffin with a serious face and a crooked beak from some barroom brawl years ago. He wore a red and white stocking cap and constantly chewed on a corncob pipe. When he spoke, his voice was deep and cavernous. It was said he had a piercing cry that could be heard up to two miles away.

"Lightning Dash," Luna began, nodding slightly at the blue colt. "You are to be assigned to the air patrol. Captain Cruise will assign you to the proper group." She gave him a gentle smile. "Since you are already friends with Silent Wing, I believe you can also train with them for combat. I want you able to defend yourself should the need arise."

"Um, okay," replied the colt nervously. "Thank you, Princess Luna." He had to be prompted to say that with a tug on his tail from Rainbow.

"Note to logbook, Mister Flick," said Captain Gilda. First Officer Flick made the proper notation.

"Red Apple," continued the Alicorn, turning to the next colt. He stepped forward, standing tall and proud. "I notice you have an interest in mechanical things. The ship's Chief Engineer would love to have you join his team. You will be assigned to engineering."

"Yes ma'am. Thank you ma'am," said the colt with a grin.

"Red Apple to Engineering," noted Gilda to Flick. He dutifully jotted down the assignment.

"Green Apple," Luna nodded to the next colt. "You are assigned to the galley with your mother and Pinkie Pie. Try not to burn the bread."

"Dishwashing?" he complained. His mother tugged on his ear with her mouth. "Ouch! Yes ma'am! Thank you ma'am."

"Green Apple to general assignment," chuckled the ship's captain. Flick scribbled into the logbook, not cracking so much as a smile.

"Unique." The Alicorn regarded Rarity's adopted daughter. She was the youngest pony on the ship at eleven years old. "Captain Gilda could use your help as her Cabin Filly."

The Unicorn blinked at her new job. "What does that mean?"

Captain Gilda strode forward, her yellow hawkish eyes boring into the filly intently. "It means you get to work directly for me. I'll let you know your duties in the morning. In the meantime, I suggest you get some rest, kid. I ain't gonna go easy on ya just because you're cute."

"I need an adult!" hissed Unique to her mother into her ear.

Suppressing a giggle, Rarity glared at the griffin. "I only agreed to this because my daughter is too young to do any serious tasks, captain. Do not betray my trust in your conduct with my Unique." Next to her, Spike just shrugged and grinned helplessly. Rarity could be a bit overprotective at times, reminding the dragon of himself.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Gilda snapped her beak shut and snorted. To Unique she said, "You'll pretty much be running errands for me. Nothing too hard. I promise."

"Noted," supplied Flick helpfully as his pen scratched away.

There was a yell somewhere up in the skies above them. All eyes lifted into the night sky. A large white form bathed in the light of the moon was locked in combat with a smaller, slightly darker form. The yellow form fell away, falling to the deck of the airship. Silent Wing fell, whipping his body in a tight arch from his back over to his belly, dropping his flanks low as his wings flared wide. He landed heavily, his hind legs absorbing as his tail swished. Golden eyes glowed softly in the low light, reflecting Luna's namesake in them as his mouth was set in a determined line. Gathering his legs beneath him, he sprang back up into the sparring match with as much speed or even more than the force in which he had been thrown down.

Tseng Tzu waited for his student, sensing him approach. The old teacher blocked the incoming roundhouse kick, deflecting it aside and going into a flip over the colt. Silent spun with his master, his hooves catching the claws he knew were coming in at him from one side. The two carried their fight down towards the gathered ponies.

"They're at it again," noted Spike as he picked up Unique and trundled over to where the others had moved. "Taking it up a notch or two, I think." He spoke generally, his green eyes following the fight with interest. "So cool to watch."

Frakas and several other changelings about to begin their nightly patrol paused in mid-flight high above the airship and watched silently. Only the sound of their softly humming wings told the ponies they were there. Nudging the others, the changeling reluctantly moved them off to land and clean up for breakfast. Each one cast a wistful glance behind them as they drifted into the night. It was rare to see Master Tseng Tzu spar with the prince.

Again, Silent Wing landed, balancing himself on the tip of a hind hoof, forehooves weaving in front of him in smooth pattern of grace. His other rear leg was hitched up, dangling as his wings flared out to their full length and held there for a moment. Gasping heavily for air, he studied his teacher, waiting for the next strike.

Tseng Tzu landed several feet from him, presenting his left side to the prince and regarding him with sightless eyes. They blinked as he sat down, his tail swishing comfortably as a serious visage presented itself to the colt. He stroked his long, thin white feather beard.

"Stop overextending, boy," he instructed, projecting calm patience. "You're exposing your flanks far too easily for counter attack. Far too aggressive. You are forgetting to flow with your opponent." Tseng wrapped a knuckle against the wood. "Calm your heart. You have so many emotions within you. Your chi is not stable. Focus!"

Silent Wing sighed audibly, but did not move from his stance.

"Perhaps some rest?" suggested Luna as she looked at the prince with some concern. He appeared ragged before her eyes.

"No," grunted the colt with a tired smile. "In battle, the enemy will not let you rest if you are tired. A warrior must fight until the battle is won or death claims him."

Lightning Dash was shaking his head. "Mom, there is no way in hay I am going to train like that maniac."

"Kid," Rainbow Dash whispered in his ear, "That's special training you're seeing. You'd get more along the lines of typical stuff. They've been going at it since after dinner and that was three hours ago. I wouldn't expect you to do that sort of thing. The program Silent does for everypony is more geared for those who haven't spent half their lives studying this style."

"But mom, what if I'm bad at it?" he asked, his eyes darting between the student and the master. Silent and Tseng had both gone silent, one watching while his opponent sensed for when to strike.

"Hey, you won't be bad at all." She grinned, bumping his side with her flank. "You might even find it's fun. Even I've started taking his class. You'll get to be with your totally awesome mom."

Lightning rolled his eyes at her. "Okay," he said, not entirely convinced.

Applejack had instinctively placed herself between her two colts and the combatants, her eyes wide as she was seeing Silent Wing fight with full control over his emotions. She could see his eyes focused, completely relaxed even though he was very tired. He might have been on the small size for his age, but Applejack could already see him bucking apples in her mind's eye with cool efficiency. Definitely would be a nice pair of hooves to have helping around a farm for sure.

"Mama, you want us doing that training thing, too?" Red asked, utterly fascinated.

She adjusted her hat, flicking her eyes at him and smiling. "Only if you want to, sugarcube. Ah ain't worried if it comes ta fightin' and you boys. Yer Apples, after all." AJ went back to watching the two fighters. "Where's yer pa?"

Green cleared his throat. "He said something about checking the armory after dinner. He ain't been up since. I'll bet pa found some rust on some gear and went to hunt down the pony who wears it for a good scoldin'."

"Yeah," the country mare said with a chuckle. "That's yer pa in a nutshell."

Meanwhile, a certain filly was staring in awe at the spectacle between teacher and student. "Are we supposed to be watching this?" Unique asked Rarity. Both were side by side and watching the standoff. "This looks like something that should be private, Mother."

"Well dear," Rarity stammered, feeling her heart pound as she was reminded of Silent's little battle in the hospital. "I don't think he's dangerous at the moment." She was obviously thinking of something else.

"Mo-ther!" Unique bumped her. "You're staring at him like he's going to turn into a werepony or a vampire."

"He's already a chimera," pointed out Spike, amused at his special pony's over exaggeration. "How much weirder can you get?" He was enjoying the sparring match and wondered when the two would start again.

"My turn!" piped up a certain bubbly voice. "My turn! My turn! My turn, oh please pick me so I can have my turn against Silent Knight!"

"Silent Knight?" Rainbow Dash asked Pinkie Pie as the mare seemingly bounded in out of nowhere. "Where'd you come up with that?"

"Well, duh!" She grinned, hooking her friend's neck with a hoof and pointing to Princess Luna with the other. Pinkie Pie began directing her chromatic maned friend's face with her own pressed against its side. Together they beheld the Mistress of the Night. "Princess!" she informed informatively. Attention was then shifted to Silent. "Knight! Princess Moon and Silent Knight! It fits, don't you think?"

"Oh yeah. I do! Very cool, Pinkie!"

"What?" Silent squeaked. Pinkie's loud voice broke his concentration. Her proclamation shattered the rest of it. The colt turned and stared at the party pony.

It was about then Luna reluctantly decided to shed a little light on the past of Silent Wing and the fear behind his squeak. She would miss it, but this was for the best. "I think that is more than enough for one evening," she called out calmly. "I am sorry, friend Pinkie Pie, but with your energy, the good prince would not fare well against your enthusiasm, I fear."

Pinkie Pie pouted. "That stinks. Oh well!" she beamed at the prince, the scent of cotton candy lightly tickling his nostrils.

Silent Wing sat down and began to understand why Frakas and the others referred to her as the Pink Terror. Did she even have an off switch?

"Now is as good a time as ever," noted Tseng Tzu to Luna. "Truth be told, changelings are very secretive about their society. He is no different. They should know his greatest waking fear and understand why life for a male changeling is harsh."

"Arey they ready to hear it?" she asked him.

"The better question is if the colt is ready to speak of it." The old teacher chuckled. "How about after breakfast in the morning? You have your own duties to see to, if I am not mistaken. On top of that, the prince is on his last hooves as it is. Let him rest. I shall convince him to speak of his changelings."

"Thank you, Master Tseng Tzu. You are most kind to offer. I shall accept it." She nodded and gave the gathering a nod. "Sleep well, my little ponies. I shall see you all in the morning." Without waiting for a response, she lifted up into the air to begin her solitary duties.

* * *

Silent Wing was a very, very sore changeling prince when he rose from his bunk the next morning. Remembering Luna's chastisement and lecture given to him while she had preened his wings on that most memorable of evenings, he did find he had feelings for her, though they were confusing him. Given the history of changelings and how their society had evolved, it was hard to blame him. He was discovering Equestrian mares were not seeking to dominate their male counterparts, rather accepting them as equals. The prince found this odd and conflicting. Certainly, he was a prince and this did entitle him to some protection from the ancient laws of changeling kind, but he was also adopted, which meant blood rights were only upon the whim of the queen and could be overturned by the majority of the great houses.

He preened himself carefully, remembering the techniques Luna had told him to use to make the process faster and more efficient. Already he could see the difference the self-help books had failed to give him. It felt good, too. Having done that, he settled for a quick shower, then realized right after he should have preened after showering. Oh well. It showed him the feathers and a few other spots he had missed. The colt fixed that. Then he sought out the necklace his sister had given him and put it on. Then he put on his leather armor, more out of the insistence from Captain Blazing Cruise for those who could be in uniform wear them when on duty. Silent's duty began the moment he woke up.

Before leaving, he cast a look upon the great book taking up an entire table to itself. It was very large, very thick, and very black. A foul energy emanated from it, taunting the prince with its secrets. Sighing inwardly, the colt trotted out the door and went to breakfast and the morning meeting in the captain's cabin.

Breakfast with Captain Gilda was professional, with any changes to the schedule for the day discussed as well as anything that might have occurred during the night. The griffin herself did not seem to care for the prince and rarely asked his opinion for anything unless the topic concerned his changelings. It was clear she wanted little to do with them and especially Silent despite the reassurances from Princess Luna.

She summed it up earlier in the voyage cutting off the prince's attempt at friendly conversation with, "Look prince. I'm paid to get you safely from point A to point B and back again. I don't mind you want to learn new things and I don't mind lending you the tools and equipment to learn. I am not a big fan of changelings, given the history between your country and mine. Long story short; I don't trust you, which means I am not interested in being your buddy. Got it?"

The hostility between griffins and changelings had extended to this mission, though the anger so far was thankfully confined to agreeing to disagree. The female griffin tolerated the changelings on her ship, but barely. Unfortunately, that was how the world worked. Not every soul was going to get along with allies they had not chosen. He had already sensed the hostility from the other griffins on board the airship, far more so than the mix of ponies who at least tolerated him and his soldiers.

After breakfast, the prince quietly made his way to the parlor. The ladies would be finishing up their own morning meal. Princess Luna would be there, as she personally found the captain abrasive, but knowledgable in her job and more than capable. Tseng Tzu had asked him to educate those interested about changeling society last night and the prince thought it might not be a bad idea. Perhaps it would be good for him as well.

A sign on the wall near the entrance to the parlor read "Understanding Changelings".

He entered the lavishly decorated room and found everything had been arranged so a podium faced several small rows of folding chairs. Each one had a pony sitting in it. Every face in the room turned to the prince as soon as he passed through the door, mostly smiling at him expectantly. A few 'good mornings' were tossed his way, to which he smiled and nodded nervously back. Tseng Tzu and Luna waited for him expectantly. Frakas was crammed into a corner, waving at his prince excitedly.

"I wasn't expecting so many," he admitted, laughing sheepishly.

Every off duty pony seemed to be crammed into the room. Some even stood against the walls, squeezing to one side to let the colt work his way to the front. Finally he was at the front of the room where he turned and saw more than two dozen faces peering up at him expectantly. Somepony coughed.

He cleared his throat, shifting his mind for dealing with an audience. "Everyone is here to learn about changeling society, I assume?"

"The ladies were kind enough to go about the ship and asked any who wished to learn about your kind to come and listen." She paused, noticing something, then asked, "No notes?" Luna's voice was quiet so only his ears picked her up.

He grinned and shook his head. Silent Wing was completely relaxed. "Before we begin, how many of you here saw your first changeling when you came on board this ship?" Roughly half of those in the room raised a hoof. "All right. How many of you are familiar with the Canterlot incident some years back?" Every pony indicated they had. "Good. Now, how many of you noticed all the changelings with Queen Chrysalis and those who are with me on this ship are all male?"

Pinkie Pie was the only pony to raise her hoof, grinning happily. She also spoke loudly and eagerly how she knew and always known. The pink mare also hopped up and down in her seat.

"Do you know why?" Silent asked her, arching a brow.

Nopony knew. Not even Luna, despite her vast pool of knowledge within her mind.

"Crack a few windows, my friends and grab some drinks. This might take a while." Silent Wing pulled up a stool and sat on it next to the podium, resting his elbows on his knees and slouching forward as if he was going to whittle a piece of wood. "Feel free to leave if you find this takes too long or you have your duties to get to. One simply does not explain five thousand years of culture in a mere hour."

* * *

All changelings families have a matriarch. It had been so since the beginning of time, since the first changeling became aware of being. As young mothers, they were often the only ones able to raise their young as fathers often did become food for expectant mothers which in turn would feed their children. Of course this was speculation and conjecture as only very powerful queens were still susceptible to such urges.

Child bearing changeling mares bore two types of eggs; a singular female egg or a clutch of male eggs (hence male identical twins like Frakas and Feidole were very common). The males could and did have multiple fathers with only half surviving their first year. Female hatchlings were doted over and treated with lavish affection. Males were almost left to fend for themselves, though their mothers did care and feed for them. As changelings developed from hunter gatherers and became civilized, the care for their males did improve, however female foals were still preferred over males. They still are to this day. For one thing, females were stronger, better apt at magic, and bigger. Males became viewed as expendable and viable cannon fodder for their warlike tendencies matriarchs had towards each other as they vied for land and power.

* * *

"Is that like two cities constantly fighting each other over say, a gold mine?" asked a stallion in the audience. "And they'd just send the males to fight each other?"

Silent straightened, nodding as he spied out the speaker. "Very much so! Early on it was a struggle for matriarchs to gather resources to feed their families, so fighting was constant. The Dread Wastes were just as inhospitable then as they are now, perhaps more so with the creatures that used to roam the lands. Peace was simply taking a breath to regroup and recover until the next war flared up."

He continued his story after letting the audience absorb his words.

* * *

Eventually, the most powerful matriarchs came together after the Great War and determined there must be a queen to rule over all the changelings. The advantage was a united front against the other races of the world who had just exhausted themselves after a century of constant warfare. Having tasted unity under the power of Flamespyre, the matriarchs gathered to find among themselves their first queen. As the other changelings in other parts of the world were exploring their own means of government (they had come to the same conclusion for the most part), the Emerald Changelings eventually settled on five of the most powerful matriarchs to battle each other until only one was standing.

The first changeling queen of the newly minted Emerald Kingdom was named Chrysalis, the greatest ancestor of the current Chrysalis and the only other changeling to have ever borne the name. As an appeasement to the losing matriarchs (heads of houses were never killed out of mutual respect), Chrysalis selected from among their houses the most capable males to serve their new queen to fill in roles. Female changelings were almost never chosen, as it was viewed as the queen favoring another potential rival to the current house matriarch she lived under. To avoid such a conflict of interest, only males were chosen to serve the ruling house. Thus the losing houses still had a say in how the queen decided to run the kingdom.

With the establishment of the Emerald Changeling Kingdom came a code of laws that grew and expanded the following five thousand years. First of all, only female changelings could own property. Only a matriarch was allowed to make decisions for her family. A male could speak on her behalf and this was usually done by her favored consort. Marriage did not exist for changelings then as ponies might understand marriage, but multiple unions of several males from several minor houses could be chosen by a young changeling mare and courted. Mares could and did choose which male would father their fillies. Courtship could be done singly or at the same time and it was not uncommon for males to fight each other to the death to gain the favor of a rising matriarch to be. The more powerful houses sought alliances with equal houses to prevent aggressive males from overstepping themselves in an effort to curb their enthusiasm for fighting. Armies were commissioned by the monarch and wars were constant as the early Emerald Kingdom expanded its borders. Stallions were given no say in the matters of law and were treated more or less as expendable assets to be used and abused.

* * *

"This is the first I've heard of you calling yourself an Emerald Changeling," said a dark mare with a light blue mane. She was one of the Pegasus under Blazing Cruise's command. "Are there other kinds of changelings?"

Silent tilted his head to one side as he recalled them. "Yes. There are a total of five different changeling kingdoms. I'm from the Emerald Kingdom. The other four are Topaz, Ruby, Diamond, and the Broken Kingdom."

"Broken?" she pressed, eyes wide with curiosity, echoing the general feeling in the room now. "What does that mean?"

Silent straightened, nodding as he spied out the speaker. "Very much so! Early on it was a struggle for matriarchs to gather resources to feed their families, so fighting was constant. The Dread Wastes were just as inhospitable then as they are now, perhaps more so with the creatures that used to roam the lands. Peace was simply taking a breath to regroup and recover until the next war flared up."

"Wonderful," she groaned, eliciting some laughter from the crowd.

"That's why you ponies have me coming along. Changeling laws are more or less the same with slight cultural differences. If we do encounter any, we should be able to use my mother's name as she is still respected by the other matriarchs around the world. They might no know the Emerald Kingdom, but the name Chrysalis should inspire the right dose of fear to get us where we need to go with minimal problems." Mentally he added, _I hope_.

* * *

Of course, there were wars. The Changeling Kingdom was almost in a constant state of open warfare with her neighbors in the first millennium she existed. As the changelings fed upon the emotions of their enemies and grew in power, they discovered the elusive power of love to be the greatest emotion of all to feed upon. It was an addictive sensation of feeling and queens found they coveted the power it gave them for themselves. Millions of male changelings spent their lives to the last breath seeking out and bringing this power to their matriarchs, who in turn would offer to their queen her allotted portion. While the stallions fought and died for love, the mares consumed it and grew more and more powerful.

One mare believed this to be wrong. Shattersong had come from a minor house, having just assumed her role as matriarch. She petitioned the queen, then an aging monarch who was without an heir save for a son who would inherit nothing at her passing. Only death awaited him as he was viewed with scorn by the other noble houses. Already the most powerful prospective queens were jostling each other for position when the old mare died. Shattersong was granted an audience with the dying queen upon a fanciful whim. The young mare presented herself before Queen Talxis and asked to know why the stallions were dying for nothing as the matriarchs had become greedy and did not share their love with them.

"Greed and avarice," she was told by the tired queen. "They will not share as they care only for empowering themselves."

"But good queen," Shattersong did ask humbly, "What will be done if the stallions refuse to fight? Can you not sense their distress? They call upon the wind and within my mind I sense their despair. If they would have but a little love from the mares they die for, then all the harder would they battle for such a small favor."

They debated for some time, the old queen and the petulant young matriarch of a weak house. Finally, Queen Talxis did ask of Shattersong, "I will consider your words if you were to consider my son as your First Consort, from the moment you bond until the end of days. Upon which I shall abdicate my throne and allow you to do deeds of merit instead of uttering useless words."

* * *

"Question!" Rainbow Dash held a hoof up, her face a mask of confusion. "If you stallions are so small, how does that explain that one big one that followed your mom around like and angry rottweiler?"

"Myzanum?" Silent Wing's tone dropped to a frozen chill as he spoke the name. No, there was no point to lose his temper over such a simple and easy to explain question. "Sorry. I'll answer that question, Lady Dash," he chirped, smiling suddenly as he waved a hoof at her. "Gigantism does occur in our race. Usually if it happens to males, they are immediately destroyed or left in the wilderness to fend for themselves. The only way they are allowed to live is if their proportions are perfect and there is no defect."

"Destroyed?" Rainbow was still trying to get over being called a lady. Such a nice boy! He deserved a...what was the word? Beating! Yes, he deserved a beating. "Do you mean killed?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, it's a practice still used to this day, but it extends to any male born deformed. I'm alive because my mother has certain rights that allows some of her personal decisions to override common law." The prince explained it with little emotion, not thinking it would affect the room with the shock now exploding in his face.

"What about fillies?" asked Rarity bravely, almost afraid of the answer.

"They're held on pedestals just as if they were normal fillies. Mares, if you remember me explaining are considered superior to stallions. They lead armies, pick their favorite stallions to play at being generals, run the noble houses, determines who goes to school and what education is needed by specific members of the family. Every day life and law is determined by mares. Stallions just have to deal with it."

"That's brutal," Lightning Dash said with a shudder. "Is it true mares eat males?"

"I devour your dad every time he forgets the child support," his mother muttered to him on the side.

"It used to be rather common, especially when a powerful matriarch just conceived a daughter. All though the actual reason as to why the father was devoured has been lost over the years, it's commonly believed it is done to prevent his genes from making another filly. It's also thought to help prevent interbreeding as houses are constantly shifting power and whichever one is in position to take the throne from an heirless queen can do so without worrying about birth defects in the bloodline. It still happens from time to time." Silent found he was enjoying this little class immensely.

Pinkie Pie was loving it! Every fiber of her being was getting into it as she absolutely loved a great story. This one was far better than she had been expecting. "This is so totally not boring!" she crowed. "Go back to the story about that old timey queen and that mare Shattersong!"

Silent Wing straightened himself up, unsure as he played his audience. "Oh, I'm sure you guys don't want to hear some old story that's one of the most beloved legends in changeling lore." He offered a sly grin to Frakas who was trying very hard to maintain a straight face. The changeling was very proud of the oration of changeling lore.

Applejack tipped her hat to him, "You'd best start yappin', hun. Ah don't think anypony is gonna let ya leave the room now that you done started yer story." She grinned as her boys nodded for more.

"Very well, then. Where was I?"

* * *

So did Matriarch Shattersong take unto herself her for consort the son of the queen. Upon the announcement, the great houses rose to strike down this upstart as she was now the heir to the throne, but from a weak and insignificant house. They sent their armies to crush Shattersong and her changelings, but she came before the amassing armies and did something no matriarch had ever done.

She opened her heart and shared her love with them all, giving every ounce of her being freely, crying unto them, "Behold, that which as been denied you I cannot give in full restitution, but please take what I have, for it is owed. Join me and I shall see to it your sacrifices and the sacrifices of your forefathers have not been in vain. Join me, you neglected stallions and I shall be your voice to the queen the troubles in your souls!"

Those who accepted her love found their power grow from within. Her consort stood with her proudly and gathered them under his wings to lead in the name of his Chosen Mate. The first civil war began, lasting three years. The love between Shattersong and her consort fueled their armies and slowly they began to bring the greater houses to heel. It ended with the great houses broken and their mothers bending knee to this upstart mare, acknowledging her claim to the throne. Thus did the Emerald Kingdom come to first understand the power love could give her changelings.

Over time, the centuries passed and the changelings were content for a while to build their kingdom up from within. Wars were set aside and great cities began to spring up across the land. Matriarchs established them for their families and in turn the common changelings flocked to these places where learning became a focal point, not war. For a time, there was peace as her subdued neighbors paid tribute in the form of love to the Emerald Queen and her subjects.

The rise of Discord shattered the peace, broke the treaties, and ended the tributes. The word Equestria became known for the first time to changelings and the love from within its borders did call to the matriarchs. Discord was petitioned by the queen of the time and he did allow changelings to be a part of his love for disharmony. As the Eternal Sisters Celestia and Luna did battle with the Lord of Chaos, changelings snuck in and stole what love they could, going from city to city, town to town, and village to village. However, at the moment of Discord's greatest need, they abandoned him at the word of the queen, who had what she sought and had no desire to confront the Sun and the Moon directly. Fearing the wrath of Equestrian power and having seen what the two princesses could do with their formidable magic, it was decreed no changeling would ever set aggressive hoof in Equestria ever again. It was even determined to hide ourselves from their notice, our fear of reprisal from them great.

Now, it came to pass a certain Queen Chrysalis came to power, inheriting a kingdom in dire need of love. At the prompting of the great houses and their matriarchs, the eager queen sought to appease her restless nobles and asked them to give unto her changeling males they deemed disposable. Having forgotten the lessons of the past and wishing to find for herself personal glory and appeasement, the young queen did go forward with her army, having found a way to strike at Canterlot. Princess Luna was sent to stop a series of international incidents carefully crafted by the queen's agents. Stallions wishing to bring honor to their mothers and their respective houses eagerly volunteered to follow their queen, training for some four years while she sought a way to get inside.

* * *

"The wedding?" asked Fluttershy quietly in a pause as Silent drew breath. She had a tiny smile as she was enjoying the story, though it seemed a little scary to her. "Princess Cadence and Shining Armor?"

"There very one. I think everyone here knows how that story ends." Silent Wing sighed and shrugged as the room erupted with tittering laughter. "So basically, with that being said, being a male changeling is a hard life. Take Frakas here," he said, indicating his friend. Eyes shifted to the suddenly uncomfortable changeling who smiled meekly and waved halfheartedly. "He was sent to me because his family didn't want him. All the changelings under my command were discarded because their families felt they had no room for expendable assets. He has no rights, does not have a high enough standing in his family to vote in family decisions."

"But I'm a happier pawn since I started working for my prince," grunted Frakas dryly and in good humor. "We don't mourn for our dead for long," he added, piggy-backing Silent's speech. "We celebrate how they lived and by the means they died. My twin brother died literally giving his life to save the queen. The prestige and honor he gave my family cannot be measured. My mother will carve his name on the Tomb of Honor, along with the other changelings in her house who have fallen in battle honorably. To die for the queen will surely place him among the names of the Immortal and Unforgotten." His little chest swelled out mightily.

"Death in battle is the greatest sacrifice a changeling stallion is taught to believe," continued Silent Wing. "As we cannot have property, cannot vote, have few rights, and are taught to serve our mothers unquestionably, our lives are fraught with peril."

"So if a changeling mare is interested in you, your life is in danger?" A Unicorn mare Silent did no recognize asked from halfway back and to the left in the group of ponies.

"Well, there's not only that," Silent Wing could feel his skin burning. This had quickly gone uncomfortable for him. Still, he had agreed to be open. "Changeling mares view me as a political tool to gain access to the throne. If I were to be intended to one, there are plenty of them out there who would have my sister assassinated so they would have a clear line to the throne. As prince, I can reject them unless my mother decides she approves of the courtship."

"You've been rejecting mares for a while, haven't you?" Luna asked in sympathy.

Silent Wing thought of the ones his mother had spent a couple of years throwing at him just to get him interested. She loved playing on his fears, not being serious, but at the same time hoping he would be a bit more vocal in his objections. The squeak annoyed her and thought him too timid around changeling mares. He found himself laughing before his audience,"That's the nervous life of the typical changeling male of the noble caste."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Knowing All, Seeing All**

Flamespyre's private chambers were vast, having been constructed to his needs so long ago it had been forgotten by all save a select few. His lair was the foundation of the heart of the Topaz Kingdom. Kahsoon was his roof, its inhabitants his unwitting tenants. Everything beneath the vaulted ceilings of his home was build to accommodate a large creature, specifically a certain one eyed dragon. It was here he had created most of his greatest works over the thousands of years of his life, concealed by his powerful magic when not using it. The current room was filled with countless experiments, some complete, others unfinished. A few were in progress. Most had been set aside for later, being creations of whim and fancy when the dragon needed a temporary distraction from his important work.

Contrary to popular belief when concerning science and laboratories, this room was well lit by magic and meticulously kept clean. It also smelled clean, though there was a hint of desert from the vents cycling fresh air in and the old air out. Air scrubbers and filters kept the air clean and fresh, while fans pulled the stagnant air out. The walls were painted an off white, almost gray and were unadorned.

The first thing noticable about the place was its size. Expansive came to mind with plain squared pillars supporting the roof and wide and measured intervals between them. This was the largest facility in the underground compound, constructed so long ago by denizens long ago made extinct by their own means, only Flamespyre and one other being knew who.

Tables of various sizes and lengths filled the open spaces, along with cabinets, glass cases filled with strange objects, steel machines glinting with the florescent light shining down from the multiple long fixtures stretching along the ceiling. Everything was organized from glass tubes to vials of elements and strange liquids of many different colors and compositions for his work. Tubes and wiring lined the walls and the ceilings, leading to and from the room. The floor alternated in large square black and white tiles of heavy duty ceramics made by means long ago forgotten. Deep beneath the earth hummed the source of power providing the massive amount of energy needed to keep things running. There were box like machines with blinking lights and strange screens, flashing data only the dragon could understand. The dragon's mental filing system knew what and where everything was. His current project lay in a round cylindrical tube standing upright, large enough for a creature as large as a griffin to be deposited in there. A single figure floated within now, watching the dragon as he puttered around his laboratory.

Here, he was at his happiest. Here the Lord of War worked towards reviving a forgotten time when science prevailed over magic and the power of the atom was the indiscriminate god. The massive bulk of the dragon's form moved with feline grace as he made mental notes from the information flashing on the multiple screens. Once, his son Scarheart had been his help in this very room, his bright little laboratory assistant. A replacement had been found in the most intelligent of his brood, but also the most mischievous. Altering minds was a delicate and difficult process when manipulating one for the first time. Considering the time and effort he took to acquire this one, Flamespyre would certainly be put out with himself should this opportunity go to waste.

That experiment was on pause for the moment as he was rifling through the data in his head, going again to one of the flat glass monitor in the middle of one of his machines, his claws delicately tapping on a strange rectangular object with squareish buttons on them. Strange singular symbols could be made out upon them, white against a black surface.

Twilight Sparkle watched the dragon work, floating in a warm clear liquid. A breathing mask had been applied over her mouth and she had tubes and wires attached to all parts of her. Some monitored her blood pressure, others her heart rate. Diodes were attached to her head where her coat had been shaved away exposing her skin, some clinging directly to her skull. Her brain activity was of great interest to Flamespyre.

Her mind floated as her body did, with strange liquids constantly being fed directly into her blood stream. It was as though she could see images before her eyes, familiar places and faces. She could see her friends on the same ship with Silent Wing. She could not hear them, but it seemed as though she was seeing the now, that moment. That image faded and another appeared, showing Princess Celestia reading a book and drinking tea and discussing something with...Queen Chrysalis? The two appeared to be getting along, though every now and again Twilight thought she could see the tension between the two powerful mares. Both appeared haggard and worn as if sleep eluded the both of them.

The lavender mare might have been mistaken, but was that Trixie in the room with them? Was that a foal in her hooves she was feeding a bottle to? A question was asked of her and she got up, her horn carrying the baby over to the two matriarchs. Both apparently wanted a break from whatever they were working on, taking a moment to play with the baby while a very proud Great and Powerful Trixie looked on with a beaming smile.

The clear tank was suddenly filled with a face distorted by the curvature of the glass as a red eye peered in, chasing away the visions.

"What do you think of the holograms, Twilight?" the dragon asked politely. "I did not want you to become bored, so I thought some entertainment might help you to pass the time."

She stared at him, her eyes a mix of hate and fear.

"You can speak normally, if you wish. The apparatus allowing you to breathe also allows you to speak, so long as you behave yourself." He was tapping the side of his snout and pointing at the Alicorn with a smile. "Once I have my data I need from you, I might feel inclined to let you out and see what wonders I have in store for the future here." The dragon practically bubbled with glee as he stepped aside, sweeping a claw over the expanse of his laboratory.

Twilight chanced a quick look, allowing herself a moment of curiosity. "What is this place? Where am I and why do you have me in this...glass tank?" She felt like she was in an aquarium that made her feel sluggish. "What is this stuff I'm floating in? It feels like warm molasses."

Flamespyre laughed. "So many questions, my young Alicorn princess! I shall answer them all. Perhaps I should release you and give you a tour of my facilities. You are, after all my honored guest," he said, apparently in good spirits.

The dragon sat back on his haunches his empty eye socket turning towards his captive for a second, giving her a full view of the emptiness. It chilled her more to look beyond the three scars and into the dark pit where at some time in the past an eye had been. To the mare, it was like looking into an open grave.

"I shall answer your questions, my dear. Your friends have provided me with entertainment while I wait for my moment to respond." The dragon turned his snout to the tiny mare, tracing a claw delicately over her face upon the glass. "You are confined within an examination tank, designed to hold the biogenetic fluid I am experimenting with to take readings on your body, measuring everything from your pulse rate to the length at which your hair grows. It keeps you free of germs and maintains your body in pristine health. The devices currently attached to you are redundancies as the goop, as I like to call it is still in developement. You have the honor of being my first living test subject larger than a lab rat."

"I'm honored," she snapped flatly. Twilight hated this monster ogling her, making her feel dirty with just his look.

"You are afraid of me," the dragon noted, looking at one of several monitors next to the tank. "You hate me. You wish to kill me." He might have been reading off the price of farm produce at the market in Ponyville. "We'll work on that. I want you to be able to draw upon your anger, your hatred. I would love nothing more than to have you see the world through my emotions."

"I'm nothing like you!" cried Twilight, trying to struggle. The goop made her struggle in slow motion. "I'll never be like you!"

"Not yet and we'll see about that." Flamespyre pulled away from Twilight's clear prison, his talons clicking on the tiled stone floor. Even as they left holes in the floor, within seconds the pits left by the dragon's claws repaired themselves. "I should show you a sample of my greatest creation, my most marvelous invention, yes?"

"I'm sure it's something evil," she replied, glaring at his back.

"Evil? Since when is eliminating all magic from this world evil?" The dragon turned slightly, peeking over his shoulder briefly before resuming his walk. He came to a very large metallic cabinet and opened it. "There was once a time when magic was but a myth, Twilight Sparkle. The elements of fire, earth, wind, and water were contained within their respective planes and spirits knew nothing of the mortal plane. There was a time when mortal creatures who could think and feel and govern themselves survived by means of mind and body, not magic. Magic is a crutch this world leans far too heavily upon."

He reached in and plucked out a tiny ball of what appeared to be polished silver. Holding it up into the light, the dragon turned it between his talons, flashing a loving grin upon his little possession. Closing the cabinet, he backed up a few steps, still regarding his prize. Flamespyre flared his eye at Twilight, triumph flickering smugly. He returned to the tank, awash with glee.

"This is my Oblivion Sphere," he cooed to it, holding the sphere up for Twilight to see. "The magic Silent Wing had stored in him for the past five thousand years is now in here. Would you like to know what this little darling does, my dear?"

Twilight had to admit, she was curious to know. "What?" she asked, her own violet eyes locked in morbid fascination at the sphere.

Flamespyre inhaled deeply, closing his eye as his grin went impossibly wider. "Oh, this is rapture, my dear! What I hold in my hand is a nullifier for magic. Any magic contained stored within is reversed, turning the energy into an anti-magic field. While active, any magic within its area of effect is rendered useless, its energy drawn automatically to this little beauty. I have spent an immortality trying to set right what went horribly wrong so long ago when Pandora's box was opened, unleashing magic upon the world." The eye flipped open and blazed fiercely as it beheld the Oblivion Sphere.

"Impossible," Twilight Sparkle breathed, horrified at the prospect of magic being taken. "Why would you want magic destroyed?"

"Not destroyed," the dragon corrected her flippantly, turning his snout up. "Rendered useless. The energy expelled in using it would be absorbed by the spheres, or by anything that can draw it in." He regarded his creation again, running his long tongue along the length of one of his long fangs. "It still needs tweaking here and there, but my wayward son has proven to be a remarkable test subject, though he is not yet able to project his field. So far, it is contained within his person. A minor setback, but then again he is not yet truly awakened."

"Question," Twilight Sparkle dared to state.

"Ask it, please."

"How did a sleeping infant gather five thousand years of magic while encased in an amber prison?" The lavender mare held her breath as she wondered how Flamespyre would respond.

"Not sleeping," he corrected her absently. "Suspended. Sleeping implies he ages. While suspended, all functions of living are suspended. To answer your question; Ley lines. Ley lines criss-cross the planet with set points throughout where they cross over each other. As you know, Ley lines are flows of wild magic."

Twilight Sparkle understood immediately what the dragon was implying. If the prison had been sitting in a position where the Ley lines converged, then if Silent Wing was what Flamespyre suggested him to be, then...

"No," she blurted, trying to shake her goop enshrouded head. "What you're proposing is monstrous! If you take away magic, then everything will descend into chaos. There will be no more order in the rising of the sun or the moon." Surely this was nothing more than madness! The rantings of a lunatic! Magic taken away?

"How do you think they moved before some Alicorn got the bright idea to control the movement of the sun and moon?" Flamespyre laughed enormously, placing his face right up to the glass. "I'll let you in on a little secret, Twilight Sparkle. It's not the sun or the moon they move, but the rotation of the planet they control! Do you honestly think any Alicorn has the omnipotent power to move an object in the sky several billion times larger than the planet upon which they live upon? Think, child!"

It flew in the face of everything she knew and had been taught. "I don't believe you," she spat stubbornly.

"No, you don't," the dragon agreed with a snort. "But you will understand. You will understand magic for the illusion it has always been. At least with what you think has been impressive magic. Smoke and mirrors, all of it." He began to check the monitors when one of them began flashing a green light from a single bulb on top of the odd multiple viewing device.

Twilight watched with fascination. Her own curiosity overrode her loathing. She could not help but wonder how everything worked. She was sensing no magic emanating from them. The devices she had at home were powered by magic.

Sensing her staring, Flamespyre tapped away at some arranged buttons set upon a thick rectangular platform. Some sort of sequence? He said to her, "Hydroelectricity, Twilight Sparkle. No magic. Physics involving water and a turbine from and underground river beneath this laboratory. Everything is run on electricity. Nothing runs on magic. The technology is so ancient, is is far beyond your understanding. But I shall share it with all once I have the world and magic is no longer a thorn against nature and science."

"You don't use magic?" Twilight was incredulous.

"Not here. Magic is forbidden here. I have an Oblivion Sphere in use as we speak with a field large enough for my private quarters." The diodes detached themselves from the lavender mare's head, pulling up into the cover above her soundlessly as the dragon continued to tap away. "I have all the information I need on Alicorns, specifically you. You are the first one I have had the opportunity to study in depth. For that, I thank you."

The wires and tubes were the next to painlessly withdraw from her body, following the path up as with the diodes. Somehow, the Alicorn felt her wounds healing as the dragon looked up from his work and at her, squinting his one eye, his lips moving silently as he watched her wounds close up and heal.

"Nanites are performing as expected, repairing muscle tissue," he remarked, speaking for himself as he shifted his attention to another monitor. "How are you feeling, Twilight?" Flamespyre spoke professionally. "This is for posterity and for science."

She stared at him, wondering if he was serious. Twilight even asked him if he was.

"Most certainly. I may have aims for world domination, but that does not mean there are things I will not care for. Please answer my question; How are you feeling?" That dreadful eye peered at her intently, curious, inquiring to know the answer as if the fate of the world hinged upon Twilight's answer.

She found she wanted to answer, as the sensation was most curious to her indeed. "It's as if I can feel it, sort of like a tickling sensation on my nerve endings ending in a dull throbbing as I feel muscle and fat and skin knit together. It's like the severed nerve endings are reconnecting and checking themselves to see if they're working. Very weird."

"No pain?" the dragon pressed.

"No, none at all," she admitted. Why was she compelled to answer him? Why did it feel like she was missing something? An important part of her life was missing and she could not for the life of her remember what that was.

"Excellent! I shall release you now. Please relax and wait for the tank to drain." Flamespyre began entereing a sequence pattern on the strange flat box with the multiple buttons again, his eye focusing on yet another monitor flashing pictures and spidery letters at him. It began to flash and the dragon leaned back, his neck curving in an S. He turned his snout to the tank and waited expectanlty.

Twilight felt a sucking sensation beneath her hooves. She managed to look down and see the goop swirl down slowly, a few air bubbles being pulled down into a metallic white floor. Four round grates integrated perfectly with the flooring and it was through those four openings the goop drained into, growing more and more like a liquid than firm sliminess. Slowly she dropped lower and lower until there was the sensation of gravity. The weight of her body pressed down upon her four hooves, her legs wobbling weakly.

"How long?" she found herself asking.

She plopped to her belly, her face pressing against the glass. Goop dripped off her mane like clear slime, making the mare appear as though she had just been born. The mask fell away and disappeared up into the tank, allowing her to breathe without aid. The smell reminded her of pickle jars and vinegar. The glass barrier dropped away into the floor, allowing the mare's nostrils to inhale fresh air. Her wings shuddered as her sides heaved.

Suddenly great claws were cradling her gently, her violet eyes fixing on a curved talon and staring with unfocused fascination. It was larger than her head, ending in a dulled point. Minute cracks ran up and down the length and she could see it was somewhat opaque near the base. How odd!

Warm water was suddenly dribbling over her body. Somehow she was in a white square tub, feeling very out of it.

"The nanites were giving you energy," a voice explained above her. Flamespyre? Yes, it had to be him. No other creature had that deep voice, pleasant yet so twisted and evil. "As soon as the tank drained, your own body had to take up its responsibilities. You should be fine in a moment. I am cleaning you off before the goop dries."

He was surprisingly gentle with the Alicorn, thorough as his claws presented shampoo to her mane, delicately going through her hair and over her body as if she were a pet dog getting a flea bath. Twilight found she was standing, having found her hooves. Her legs still trembled, but she had control of them. Her mind was becoming less and less blurry as she became aware of her surroundings. The warm water felt good, she decided, not worrying about anything else at the moment. Her head was still swimming as it reset itself.

"Where's my son?" she asked, having found the thought she was missing. The question came dreamily from her mouth, still not aware of her predicament nor his plight. "I want Star Journey! May I have him? I want my baby."

"All in good time, my dear," replied Flamespyre, concentrating on a sparkling clean Twilight. "There are some things we need to discuss, that I need to show you first. Your friends shall be here within the month and there is much to prepare for. I've had a chance to study them. You have wonderful friends, Twilight. I find I envy you. Such stalwart companions!"

The sound of running water ceased and the warmth no longer fell over her. Twilight was disappointed and looked up. The black scaly chest of the dragon obscured her view of Flamespyre's head until it blocked out the light. Something warm and soft was draped around her neck and shoulders. It was a towel, smelling of a rose garden. Gently the dragon dried off the Alicorn, humming to himself.

Again, she was lifted, set upon a counter next to what she could see now was a large sink she had been bathed in. Everything in this room was sized for the dragon, looked very neat and clean, from what she could tell.

"We are now in my private quarters," the dragon explained.

He lowered his head to her eye level and studied herself. Twilight shook the excess water from her body. Water droplets sprayed everywhere. She had squeezed her eyes shut, opening them to find a dripping dragon face impassively watching.

"There are currently millions of tiny machines inside your brain adjusting your peripheral nerves and altering the electrochemical messages in the places where your thoughts and memories come from." Flamespyre was making a little circle with a single claw to the side of her head as he explained, "You are at the receiving end of my greatest work in manipulating a mind. I'll let you experience the results for yourself. I certainly don't think you'll mind the alterations to your memories. Minor ones, mind you. Nothing too serious."

Twilight shook her head, coming somewhat to her senses as she began to backpedal from the monster, her wings flaring out. They beat helplessly. Her eyes went wide, finding focus and fixing on Flamespyre.

"Get them out!" she cried, her chest heaving as she began to panic. Twilight scrambled, her hooves scrabbling on the slippery surface as two sets of claws closed in around her. "Get the monsters out of my head! Why are you doing this to me?" Tears began to run down her cheeks as he picked her up in one gentle fist.

Flamespyre regarded her, tapping his free claws on the counter. Finally, he said to the frightened mare, "I think you need to rest." With a flare of his crimson eye, Twilight lost consciousness.

* * *

When she awoke, there was a great white screen before her eyes within a darkened room. She could not identify anything around her as her eyes could make out nothing else. Twilight felt calm, even rested. Had it all been just a dream? The room was relatively small. To her right sat a figure, another pony.

"Awake?" asked the black Alicorn Flamespyre with a slitted left eye. "Good. I thought you might be hungry, so I took the liberty of presenting you with a variety of food you might enjoy."

To her left a table was lit up by hidden lights, revealing trays of fruits and vegetables, many different steaming vegetable soups, apple pies, cakes, alfalfa sprouts, fresh clover, and several other things she could not name off the top of her head. Sitting upright and folding her legs beneath her, Twilight took a moment to regard her options. The mare suddenly found she was famished and was already hungrily reaching for the nearest food item to her. It was one of the soups. The small porcelain bowl contained what tasted like a blend of radishes and onions. It was seasoned with salt and pepper and a few other exotic spices she could not identify. The soup was delicious. Twilight consumed it quickly, savoring the taste as it was one of the most magnificent taste sensations she had ever experienced.

She realized she was not using her magic and found it odd. Not that it mattered, she noted as she turned the empty bowl in her hooves. The Alicorn set it aside and moved on to the next plate on the table, a fruit salad of the tropical kind and filled with foods she was not familiar with. The smells from it were intoxicating, delightful. She simply placed her muzzle into the bowl, nipping delicately as she experimented with a taste. Taste buds swam and she attacked the remainder with the gusto of a starved wolf.

Flamspyre watched the mare eat, amused. "Watch the wall in front of you, Twilight Sparkle. See what I see. Know what I know," he said to her.

It was the images she thought she had seen while in the tank. Wait. Had she been in one? When did this happen? Was it nothing more than a dream? The lavender mare found she could not remember. Doing as she was asked, she drew the bowl closer to her chest and shifted her attention where she had been directed. She found she was watching a moving image on the wall, but where?

"What is this?" she asked inquisitively, munching on a tangy mix of fruits.

"Just one pair of many eyes allowing me to see the movements of my enemies. Just a set of ears among many to hear what is planned." Flamespyre waved a hoof at it, his ears perking forward. "This one here is Canterlot, where one of my children releases a set number of nanites upon Princess Celestia to keep her mind muddled and indifferent to the runnings of her nation."

Celestia? The name was familiar to Twilight. Why?

Flamespyre watched her closely. "Chrysalis is proving to be a more meddlesome pest as an ally to her greatest enemy. She defeated the most powerful queen I had in my inventory and set back one of my armies for a few weeks in the process. A formidable opponent when motivated," he said with some admiration. "I may have misjudged her. To think she has found value in her males and even has begun to treat them as her children instead of meat shields."

* * *

As if on cue, the vision entered a room where the Queen lay reclined comfortably on a chair, going over what appeared to be field reports.

"Ah, Ivory Buttons, so good of you to come," she sighed in relief to the Secretary of Defense. It was late in the evening and several candles lit the darkened room.

Spread before her was nothing but leafs upon leafs of bad news. The Diamond changelings were on the march again, this time led by the real Blood Assault. Dark circles hung under her eyes and she had just spent the day visiting her own refugees. None of the matriarchs from the powerful houses had fled with the commoners. The minor houses were few and they immediately pledged themselves anew to the Emerald Queen.

The fat Unicorn waddled in and bowed to the queen. "You requested to see me, your Majesty?" He appeared no less worn than the foreign monarch who unwittingly had been thrust into the role of caretaker of Equestria. The robust stallion straightened his collar.

"How much longer did the generals say Manehatten had before it would fall? They're in the second week of the seige. Can we get any relief to them?" She looked at the Unicorn hopefully, wondering herself how she could find herself holding Equestria in her hooves and now not wanting anything to do with it.

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. I am pleased to inform you the commander of the besieged forces feels he was able to refuse demands for the surrender of his forces." Ivory Buttons smiled, pulling a note from his jacket pocket. He unfolded the doubled over little piece of paper. "His response to the enemy commander was, erm, 'nuts'."

She stared at him for a moment as she accepted the note. "Nuts? I don't understand the meanings of some of the words you ponies say," Chrysalis admitted.

"I doubt the princess herself would fully understand some of the more modern terms used these days," admitted Ivory with a snort. "But in this instance, it was just a flippant way to say 'no'."

* * *

"Or we could see what my son is doing," Flamespyre said, waving a hoof at the screen. It shifted, taking the view of somepony asking Silent Wing questions He was with a group of other Pegasus, listening to an older Pegasus stallion go over flying tactics while they flew in a holding pattern over a great airship.

"I've met him before," said Twilight. Her memories flickered to a nervous light colored changeling with the red mane. "Changelings don't have manes," she blurted suddenly, tilting her head to one side as her ears flew forward intently. "That uniform. Is he connected to Chrysalis some how?"

"Ah, pity," grunted Flamespyre. "Not as effective as I had hoped, but a significant improvement. Are you finished eating?" he asked politely.

"Yes, I'm quite full, thank you." Twilight smiled. "Are we going to see more movies?"

He gently took the bowl from her. "Perhaps later. Sleep for now, my sweet." His eye glowed and Twilight promptly fell asleep. "Where did I go wrong this time?" Flamespyre reached over and gently stroked her mane. "You look so much like her."

* * *

Star Journey was curled up against his mother's side, nestled against her belly and between her legs. The plump little lavender colt slept and she awoke to seeing him. Around them was a garden of grass and flowers. Dozens of songbirds lifted their voices in gentle song, the sound of a babbling brook offering up a gentle background of constant trickling. The mare shifted a wing over his little body and snuggled with him, nuzzling his blue mane and just happy to see him after...

How long had it been?

She didn't care. She had her baby! She could not see the double pair of amber harlequin eyes glaring at her spitefully, but held in check by the presence of a black Alicorn between them. His own dark wings were draped over their whithers, pulling them close as he consoled them their temporary loss of their plaything. Twilight could not see them, as they were not meant to be seen. Instead, the private gardens of the Topaz Queens was serving as a temporary respite for the besieged Alicorn princess. Her mind needed mending of its own accord before the experimentation could continue.

"I shall give her until my son arrives," the shapeshifted dragon said to them. "There are other things requiring my attention. She is not to leave the garden and the restraining collar must always remain upon her neck. Keep feeding her the medicated food." He pulled them tighter, using his magic to turn their faces to his. "Do I make myself clear? You shall have your darling little pet returned to you, but for now, his mother needs him. I want her mentally healthy and sound. He will speed the process of recovery."

"You are leaving us?" Tappis asked sadly, her pretty face suddenly mournful.

"You will not be gone long?" wondered Tappaz, mirroring her sister's visage perfectly.

Both sisters began kissing Flamespyre's neck, cooing and pleading with him to stay, giving him tender loving nuzzles. Tappis reached up an nibbled on the monster's ear. "Ladies," he said with a smile. "Your affection moves me. I shall return after I have completed business elsewhere. I shall return just before Silent Wing arrives upon your shores. You know how to welcome him and his friends, yes?"

"What of Draccaria?" they both asked, wondering. "Do you take our friend with you as well?" Tappaz rubbed his neck teasingly with her own.

"I need her to tie up a few loose ends in the Emerald Kingdom," he said to them. "Fear not, my beautiful queens. I would not dare to leave you without protection. Your kingdom and your rule of it is very important to me. My second eldest son is here. You have met him already."

"Him?" The both pulled back from their master, worried expressions on their lovely faces. "He is a strange one. His sense of humor is random. We do not understand him."

"But the children will love him!" chuckled Flamespyre, stroking both mares soothingly with his feathered wings. They trembled at his touch, bumping against him reverently. His one eye never left the scene of Twilight Sparkle and Star Journey, thinking them a lovely sight together. Pity it could not be.

"Why all of this?" asked both queens, each on miming the other perfectly as they swept a hoof to the garden. It was certainly much brighter than they had imagined. Most of the birds were not of this continent. Neither were upset. Rather, they found seeing plants and wildlife from the other side of the world quite exotic and beautiful. They were both curious.

"Part of the restoration process," Flamespyre said patiently, pleased they would take interest in his work. As much as he detested magic, it did have its uses, if even for just an elaborate illusion. "Just keep her in here and do not let her out. So long as she stays there, the illusion will hold. As I told you, keep her fed and happy and just let her enjoy her son for just a little while longer. Then I will return Star Journey to you and complete the last phase of mind alteration."

"Is it true you intend to take magic from us?" asked Tappis nervously.

The shapeshifted dragon never broke his gaze from his Alicorn. "Only from my enemies and those who would argue against my world. Magic is far too ingrained in this planet to have it dispelled. Fear not, my beautiful queens. I promise you both will never be without your magic." He offered them each a smile, winning and sincere.

"Father, you wished to speak with me?" came a voice in the shadows.

Red on yellow eyes popped open, one slightly larger than the other as the speaker emerged from the shadows. A snaggle tooth in the shape of a triangle hung at the front of his mouth, his long face mounted by both a goat horn and a deer antler. The right arm was that of a lion's, the left an eagle. His right hind leg a lizard, the left a goat. Upon his back were the single wings of a Pegasus on one side and a bat's on the other. The chimera had the body of a snake and a red tail of a dragon, ending in a white tuft of hair. A short dark pony mane bristled up his back. The newcomer was met with uncertainty by the two monarchs and a warm smile by Flamespyre. It was the only draconequus in the world and the second eldest of Flamespyre's children.

"Discord," the dragon greeted through his Alicorn guise. "I trust you have made yourself at home."

"Oh," said the Lord of Chaos, "You know me and deserts, Father. Nothing but dry humor to be found everywhere you look."

"None of your antics, my son?" Flamespyre asked with some surprise.

The draconequues shrugged, not at all feeling the desire to being chaotic at that moment. He was busy focusing on Twilight Sparkle, a pony whom he had once considered an amusing foe, then the cause of his second downfall, and in later years, a friend. Absently, he snapped his fingers, a flash of white and a pair of small pink clouds floated over the heads of Tappis and Tappaz. Tiny snakes began to rain on their heads, laughing.

Discord was not laughing when the two took off down the halls, screaming at the falling snakes now tangling into their manes.

"Problem, son?" asked the Dragonking curiously.

"Star Journey might be a chunky little spoiled brat," shrugged Discord with a dry smirk. "But nopony deserves to be mothered by those two. I am also not at all happy with what you did with those two children. That was simply awful to hear about."

"Pawns, my son. Nothing more than pawns."

The Lord of Chaos joined his father in watching Twilight Sparkle as if they were a pair of visitors looking at a zoo exhibit. The mare was washing her sleeping son happily with her tongue, him rolling on his back, giggling as he woke up. "As cruel and single minded as ever, I see," he noted. "Why am I here? You know I want nothing to do with what you are doing. I decided my own path long ago after you went to ground."

"Prophet is here."

Discord glared at his father. "Why?"

"Oblivion is nearly ready."

Shaking his head, the draconequus barked out a laugh. "Oh, that thing is still a thing for you? It's bad enough you spent thousands of years tweaking the mind of your youngest child who happens to be my youngest brother to the point where you had to split him into two parts and strip his power to wander the lay lines until a certain mare awakened it and became -"

"ENOUGH!" roared the Shadowdragon, his voice shaking the very foundations of the stone the castle sat upon.

Twilight Sparkle looked up in her illusionary garden, her eyes a little frightened as she hugged Star Journey to her. The mare was so innocent, her magic locked, but indifferent to its existance within her. Life for her right now was just centered around her colt and she clutched his shivering form to her chest, shielding him with a wing.

"Keep him from speaking to the mare and the changeling princess, Atalanta. That is your only task for the next thirty days."

Discord glowered at the creature who sired him, loathing the thing he had nearly become himself. To think he had wanted to be like Flamespyre once! "As you wish."

"Do not disobey me, son."

"I will do as you ask, but no more." Father and son glared at each other before Discord disappeared in a flash of white light, his sense of humor and love for fun chaos having evaporated since coming into the presence of Flamespyre.

Flamespyre spent the next hour watching with a stone face a mother play with her child in sheer love and bliss, thinking of how he wanted to eventually destroy Discord, his most mischievous and dangerous of his brood.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**The Great and Powerful**

Entertaining changeling refugees had become more or less a daily routine for the Great and Powerful Trixie (and Merlin), setting up her stage just outside of their camp near Ponyville. There were literally thousands of changelings who had fled their homes, crossing the vast forest between the Emerald Kingdom and Equestria before the military funneled them from the hidden mountain pass to Ponyville. Trixie had heard about them and she, like her neighbors, decided Grazeland was about to become a battlefield. With great reluctance, the entirety of the town's residents packed what belongings they could and joined the great changeling migration south.

During the trip, Trixie found herself entertaining a slowly growing number ponies and changelings with her illusions and magic. Her friends and neighbors were happy to see the Unicorn mare engage herself in her old profession of travelling entertainer, even sparking the old fire of the love she once had for wowing the crowds and hearing their cheers. A distraction was badly needed and Trixie was the perfect remedy.

Her biggest fans were changeling children; foals and fillies and colts watched her shows, transfixed and amazed and cheering. The mare felt their love and adoration and returned the favor, not aware she was feeding them. Essentially changelings were having a free buffet of Trixie love and even when she later found out, she did not seem to mind. It was the perfect two way road; changeling matriarchs did not have to worry about feeding the mouths of unwanted colts (hardship brought out the harshest of decisions) and Trixie suddenly became the mother to over two hundred little colts. A few common changeling mares too young for families of their own and not confined by the old traditions of indifference towards male offspring helped Trixie with her traveling audience.

It was unnerving at first. At first it had been a few colts and foals, their mothers having their elder brothers and sisters depositing them at the show and leaving them never to be seen again. Trixie was shocked at such treatment of children, having heard of changeling social quirks and traditions, but having dismissed most of them as superstitious bunk. Witnessing wanton child abandonment of colt foals was a surreal experience she thought cruel, not at all like the small heroic group of adolescent colts who had cheerfully defended her home over a month ago.

A week into the exodus, a pair of changeling mares carrying their brood with them found themselves watching one of Trixie's shows, observing how the children reacted to her and how she fed off of their attention - very changeling-like, in their opinion - and approached her after her show. Between the two mares they had ten children, seven males and three females. All were dressed in simple smocks, but well stitched and made of fine wool. Both mares sported broad rimmed hats to keep the sun out of their faces. One bore a sling across her chest carrying her own newborn within it while her youngest rode her back, quiet and well behaved. They walked because their children could not yet fly.

They introduced themselves as fillyhood friends, hailing from a pair of very minor houses almost no better than common stock. Their names were Antisa and Rikkasta. Their matriarchs had sided with the new government. The two changeling mares had not. Follow the leadership of a male representing some unknown house? Preposterous! As a result, they were cast out from their houses along with their children. They had also gone against tradition and kept a hold of their colts (the nobility tended to cling to the old traditions, not the common changeling). Offering to help Trixie with her show and caring for abandoned changelings, they in turn offered to teach the Unicorn about changelings.

Having nothing better to do, the mare agreed. Thus began an unlikely friendship. During the days they traveled, they discussed the differences and similarities between their cultures. These changeling mares were not above manual labor as they rotated pulling the show pony's large and heavy cart. Changelings were not at all afraid of hard work, Trixie discovered, had a love for crafted items made by hoof and enjoyed singing. Most songs she learned were ballads of queens who had lived long ago with a smattering of famous changeling victories in war and battle here and there. Trixie also discovered just how warlike the changelings were. Even more chilling was the smug looks on the two mares' faces when they reminded her Queen Chrysalis had eyes everywhere in Equestria and had so since soon after her ascension to the throne. Other pony kingdoms and races also had changeling eyes upon them. The war had more than likely disrupted the intelligence service.

Antisa and Rikkasta were young mothers, perhaps eight or ten years younger than Trixie and were loyal to Queen Chrysalis. Both of them had brothers under Silent Wing's command. Antisa claimed to have twin brothers as the prince's best friends by the name of Feidole and Frakas. Both were also interested in entertaining crowds, seeing the benefits of feeding off their love. It would be enough to feed their children and better yet, no changeling law would be violated as the love and appreciation would be freely shared. It was the perfect solution to the problem of feeding their always hungry and growing broods.

Every show had the children, of course. But it also brought adults and curious onlookers of both races. It became prudent to place signs up warning of changelings feeding off the emotions of the show, mostly after complaints from ponies feeling unusually weak after attending shows. The misunderstanding was cleared up, but only after nearly getting Trixie arrested and thrown in irons. Cursory guards were placed, trained to watch for changeling shapeshifting tricks. Naturally, they were separated from other ponies, but Trixie found herself always in the mix of their little politics. What matriarchs there were squabbled with each other for control of the camp as the instinct to have a 'queen' drove them to compete.

Somehow, Trixie was pulled into the mix, though not entirely by her own means. Antisa and Rikkasta may have had a hand in getting the Unicorn involved and may have suggested to the lesser noble matriarchs Trixie was stronger. The reasoning behind this, they told the startled and outraged pony was the simple fact they were in Equestria and needed an Equestrian to lead them, to prevent too many mistakes and misunderstandings from happening. With the war going on, there was a great deal of mistrust and anger towards the refugees and they needed more than just military protection. They needed a pony to guide them. Queen Chrysalis was buried in world matters and had little time to see to her subjects, though there had been promises from Canterlot she would see them as soon as she was able.

One night, after nursing Merlin and snuggling him comfortably in his little basket, Trixie hummed him to sleep as her eyes went to the small camp fire. A small pot of vegetable soup kept warm on a flat stone by the flickering flames. Trixie meant to get to her dinner, but the day had been long and hard. She was very tired, stifling a yawn as she rocked her sleeping foal. Merlin was teething and she was now experiencing soreness from nursing him. Mentally she threw an apology to her mother and chuckled to herself as she rubbed the tender spot, wincing.

It had been a good day. Some ponies had even donated some bits and fresh fruits and vegetables. All around her were the blanketed forms of changeling children of all ages, most of them colts. She could not help but think of them as adorable, with their round little blue eyes and desire for love. It was a tad bit annoying they were clingy, but what could she do? Their mothers had abandoned them and they would have been left to the wilderness to die. A few of the smaller ones were snuggled up next to her body for warmth. Antisa and Rikkasta helped with the youngest, keeping them close and warm while ordering the older colts to do the same for each other. So, it was essentially several writhing masses of black changeling colts settling together in tight balls while the mares circled the campfire where they could watch over them.

"Trixie thinks she has bitten off more than she can chew," she murmured to the fire, giggling helplessly. She did not want to compete with changelings with their own ways and laws, but her two new friends were very grave when they told her if any of the other matriarchs had their way, the colts abandoned by their families would stay that way and Trixie would be removed from the changeling camp. What would her husband have thought of this?

"Laughed at foolish Trixie," she sighed, the loss forever an ache in her heart. The Unicorn leaned over and kissed her precious Merlin. His little face turned towards her, yawning as his little hooves stretched out. Merlin had started trotting recently and his mother allowed him to wander around in her presence when he was awake. At least he had others his own age to play with, even if they were changelings.

Everypony was asleep, or close to it. The Unicorn was able to start her late dinner with bread she lifted from a bread box near her wagon. She ate, wondering through her exhaustion the last time she had ever felt this alive. Everything was so unusual and out of place and hectic, she found it had been even fun.

Ponyville nervously accepted their new neighbors, wary and distrustful at first. Unicorn sorcerers placed about spells to see through shapeshifting and the refugees were encouraged to not assume forms other than their natural ones. Having an entire population of creatures who could change their appearance on a whim was nerve wracking enough for their hosts. Trixie and her strange newfound friends continued to keep spirits up through entertainment and magic shows. The following weeks proved to be fulfilling for the mare as she felt needed by the masses, though most spectators would have terrified most ponies not too long ago.

The way the war was going, it appeared as though the arrangement might become permanent. Over the years, Trixie had become a more humble mare, her haughty exterior masking the gentle mother she had become. Of course, the Unicorn was still prideful, but she was more inclined to admit her mistakes. Never having been a cruel pony, Trixie had spent most of her youth just wanting love and attention and always a full audience. Unfortunately, it had never panned out exactly as she had hoped.

Shortly after her second run in with Twilight Sparkle and being possessed by the Alicorn Amulet, the mare had wandered for several years with her traveling show, pulling her own wagon and pointedly avoiding Ponyville. She had never again visited, too ashamed of herself to properly apologize. Well, if she happened across Twilight Sparkle and her friends, Trixie promised herself she would do that. Tying up loose ends like this one would be good, she decided, if they remembered her. Her old adversary was now an Alicorn princess. Some mares get all the luck. Trixie shrugged at the thought. She had Merlin and that's all she needed.

Trixie sighed, staring at the dying embers of her little campfire, feeling one of the changeling colts snuggle closer to her as he shivered, his little blanket not enough. Smiling, the mare lifted him up and placed him in the basket with Merlin, tucking him in and pulling the basket close to her. Wrapping her hooves around it, the Unicorn draped her head over the two foals, settling herself comfortably as she felt little hooves bat at her lower jaw and cheeks. She smiled, adjusted herself and went to sleep.

She would soon wake up to the very large and imposing beauty of the dark changeling queen looming over her curiously, standing just on the other side of the burnt out remnants of the fire. Queen Chrysalis sat on her haunches, her subjects huddling low to the ground as they groveled. Faces that dared to look upon her magnificence were filled with adoration. She was the reason why they had fled their country. The very children with whom Trixie had found herself the unwitting caretaker of were all surrounding their Queen, the figure most had been taught since birth to identify as their Great Mother. Love and adoration reflected in their big blue eyes. Every time a new little face presented itself before the Queen, she would lean down with a gentle smile and kiss the colt lightly on the forehead in a sort of blessing. The powerful monarch had been doing that since she had been pointed out towards the Equestrian pony mare who entertained and cared for those no changeling wanted. It was still early in the morning, Celestia's glory just now beginning to peek over the trees.

Patiently she allowed Trixie to sleep, studying the mare, wondering if this was a weakness she was witnessing or a strength. Ponies were strange creatures, she reasoned. Then again, these were strange times. Chrysalis found a little colt of perhaps four or five waddle up to her with a bad limp and a battered little body. A runt, she decided, her thoughts mixed between pity and loathing. She could feel the love coming from him. It was as strong a sensation as she might have recieved from one of her whole subjects.

The two young would-be matriarchs had remained groveling in the dirt, their snouts very close to the ground. She lifted their chins with a gentle tug of her magic, if to simply just get them off the ground. "Feed them," she commanded, indicating the colts.

They bowed and buzzed into the air to do just that, thanking their queen and wondering if this was to be the end of Trixie the Great and Powerful.

The little cripple somehow reminded her of Silent Wing at that age, seen by her race as a crippled, malformed abomination. Yet he was the strongest spirit and will she had ever come to know. She could also sense it in this little one. Her magic flowed from her horn, glowing as the colt was washed over with her lightly touch of power, lifting the squirming little thing to her face. This colt, unknown to her smiled, shrieked in delight at seeing his Queen, recognizing who she was immediately from the ingrained teachings all changeling children underwent. This unknown child reached for her, his emotions washing over in his joy and love. The Queen drew him to her into a warm embrace, having never held a crippled one of her own kind before. How could she loathe such a creature capable of such love? Something in the back of her mind clicked among the ever growing row of things the past fifteen years falling into place, changing her, as if in preparation for...

_Old practices are going to have to change_, she decided. _Which means it will be about as well received as a change in religion, _she mentally added with smirk. _Damn you, Silent Wing! _Chrysalis wanted to laugh, catching it before it could burst out while shaking her head.

She set the child unknown to her down gently and motioned for one of her guards, whispering into his ear as he approached in a hover expectantly. Chrysalis now employed all of Silent Wing's guards, their refreshing views on things a stark contrast from the rank and file yes stallions she had put up with for as long as she could remember. Once her instructions were given, he beamed at her, happy indeed with his task as his eyes swept over the throng of colts swarming over Trixie's little camp. Tseng Tzu taught them, molding them into changelings who could think for themselves and have a different perception on things. Such a meddler!

Behind her in the refugee camp, hundreds of eyes stared from beyond the wall of guards, wondrous of seeing the vision of their Queen, most of them seeing her for the first time. She had been among them earlier that morning, calling off her guards, fearing no changeling. Chrysalis had allowed her subjects to approach. Colts and fillies reached out to touch their monarch in awed wonderment, adults bowing in righteous fear as she passed. Calls for her glory, long life, and undying love were lavished down upon her. She was pleased to see them, but also troubled to see no warriors among them save for the few soldiers who deserted the army and followed their matriarchs. For once, the ratio of male to female adults was roughly even.

A casual comment about a separate camp filled with abandoned colts foolishly taken in by a single pony piqued her interest. She began to inquire further into this odd little camp and its little mistress. A show pony, she was told. A magical mare who was a traveling entertainer, the self-styled "Great and Powerful" Trixie. There was some contempt at the name and title when it was spoken, some amusement, but mostly confusion. What was so great and powerful about a magic show?

Changeling concepts in entertainment was lacking to say the least. The idea of a circus was even unknown to them as such entertainments were considered frivolous and unproductive. Blood sports were celebrated, often involving a coliseum, a packed crowd, and a center floor covered in sand filled with stallions trying to kill each other in the name of their houses.

The children, however, loved this mare's magic show. And she loved them for loving her. The adults were unimpressed, but Chrysalis became very interested indeed when she found out hungry colts and fillies were being filled by a single Unicorn on almost a nightly basis.

Seeing over two hundred abandoned children filled Chrysalis with rage as she carried herself upon her wings and witness the little camp from the air for a few moments. She understood the ways of her people, the traditions, the status quo, the Words of the Matriarchs. Her kingdom needed its children, even if they were just males. All of them. Just before going into the little camp, she had called over a guard and commanded he find out the names of the matriarchs who abandoned their sons. She would deal with them later, though they did have the right to deal with their colt offspring as they saw fit.

The story of the entertainer, this 'show pony' intrigued her.

She noted the basket containing the two colts; one a Unicorn, the other a changeling. Their little horns were crossing each other, little hooves wrapped around each other as they slept. Somehow, the blanket covering them had been pushed back while they slept. Chrysalis fixed that, easing the covers up to their chins, her face impassive, thinking, swirling mind churning. Her attention shifted, along with her ears to the shifting Trixie. The mare's eyes fluttered open and she yawned, lifting her head, blinking. Her first action before anything else was to check her basket. Satisfied all was well, she smiled, saw the morning shadow of something long stretching up to it. Her eyes followed the shadow to its source, wide, staring and sensing something dreadful.

She saw the fully pitted legs of what she first thought was one of those hateful matriarchs, but these were longer, more graceful. Trixie's eyes continued to drift unblinking up, her ears slowly flattening back as she came to understand the dread figure before her, the slender body, sensing the power pulsing beneath the hardened skin, the two fangs pointing down from the upper lips. The hint of a smile, enjoying the mare's expression, the crooked horn poking up from the long, straight mane, the mule ears sticking out, tuned towards the Unicorn. Lastly, the eyes. Those demonic eyes like hard emeralds, harlequins belonging to a queen. There was only one name springing to mind as Trixie's mind put everything into place and dreadfully so.

"Queen Chrysalis!" Trixie squeaked, sitting up and visibly shrinking from the monarch. Instinctively, she grabbed the basket her son was sleeping in and drew it protectively to her chest, her gray-violet eyes wide with fright and darting from side to side as she sought out a means of escape.

"I understand your name is Trixie?"

The terribly frightened Unicorn could only nod rapidly.

"Please calm yourself, girl. I won't harm you. I only wish to speak with you and... thank you." The Queen bent to the side and kissed another colt, causing him to squeal in delight.

"Thank me?" Trixie blinked, trying to think and gather her wits. "For what?"

"For this," Chrysalis replied, lifting a colt with her magic gently. "And this. And this. And this." Each time she spoke, a colt was highlighted by her magic, brought before her, pecked lightly on the forehead and gently returned to the milling army of children still vying for her attention. "For all of this," she finished. "I will never understand you ponies and your compassion when it comes to picking up strays, but these strays happen to be my children. Even if those who bore them no longer wish to have anything to do with them." A dangerous glint flickered in her eyes as she glanced in the direction of the onlookers beyond the guards.

A playful foal had climbed up her back and was now poking his head out from between strands of her turquoise mane, chewing happily on a bit of it. He squealed a happy little shriek as the Queen's uncharacteristic gentleness allowed him his play. She had come to the conclusion this might be all she would have when the war was over. Chrysalis did not want to lose what she had.

"Indeed," she told the mare, assuming a serious expression. "Of all the ponies I have come to observe, you are by far the only one to harness the love and attention of my children. You are also the only one to reach out and take in those in need. Having heard this, I wanted to see the camp and see for myself this miracle."

_Miracle?_ Trixie could only stare and nod along with the Queen in mute flabbergasted shock.

The Queen continued, rolling on her side, mindful of the changelings around her and ignoring the fact she was lying on crushed grass and dirt. "Is this what it is like for you as a mother, to want to reach out and be a mother to children you don't even know? Is this what it is like to freely give love?" Her eyes went to Merlin, who was waking up. He was clearly hungry and began to tell his mother so.

Trixie flushed, not at all comfortable nursing her son in front of the black queen. She did not want to begrudge her son his breakfast. Chrysalis sensed her unease and felt the want from the Unicorn colt. Atalanta had once hungered like this when she was little. Politely, she turned her head away, focusing her attention on another colt yet to receive her attention.

"Go ahead," she said. "I won't look."

Trixie smiled and busied herself with covering her flanks and rear legs with a blanket, then set Merlin down. He immediately went to where breakfast awaited, his waddling not quite able to keep up with his mind as he stumbled a couple of times. His mother rose to her hooves and watched him with a faint smile. Crouching a bit for his short size, Trixie was almost in a sitting position. She winced as his teeth latched on to a teat and she could hear him suckling, his little rear in the air and his tail swishing back and forth happily.

"I have a proposition for you," said Chrysalis, an ear turned towards the sound for a moment before twitching away. "I am in need of a pony who can act as a liaison between the refugees and myself. You may continue to do as you have been doing. All I require you to do is listen to the grievances of my children and send them to me."

"So, do what Trixie has been doing, but also send notes?" asked the Unicorn, gaining a bit of her sense of self importance.

The Queen paused. "Why are you speaking in the third person?" she asked curiously.

Trixie blushed. "It's a stage thing. I'm sorry."

"You're the one my son told me of," Chrysalis said, suddenly remembering her son's recount. "You were kind to him. He never forgot that and neither shall I. But do not speak in the third person around me. I'm the one with royal blood. Do keep that in mind, my dear."

"Of course!" Trixie winced at the admonishment. That was pretty stupid. Merlin kept at his breakfast, adjusting his grip. "Ow!" she yelped, hiking up a rear leg slightly in a jerking motion. She glared at her oblivious son. "No teeth!" she pleaded.

"Would you like for us to find you a wet nurse?" offered Chrysalis in amusement. "We nursed our daughter for the first few months. Stopped right after her teeth came in and let some other mare deal with them. We can deal with the pain of battle, but the pain of a foal with incoming fangs?" She shuddered, chuckling at the memory. Chrysalis had also shifted to speaking in the first person plural pronoun to emphasis she represented a nation to the entertainer.

"Oh, it's no trouble!" Trixie said with a forced smile. "I can manage."

The queen smirked. "No trouble? It's not as if we are offering to do it ourselves. Suit yourself. Our proposition stands. You fill our subjects with love and that pleases us. It also has come to Our attention children seem to adore your show. Would you also consider doing this on a regular basis, conduct your entertainment on salary? We can be very generous and we can find a means to compensate you handsomely for spreading love to our children."

Salary? Regular basis? Trixie's eyes went round as her heart skipped a beat. She didn't even notice when Merlin nibbled a bit too hard, even though her leg hitched again. Chrysalis had turned, regarding the silent pony and expressing surprise at Trixie's blank face. How many years had she prayed for something like this to land at her lap? Now, of all things, the offer would come from the Queen of the Changelings? "Mother of Celestia," she breathed.

"Does this mean you accept?" Chrysalis found herself amused.

"Yes! I'll do it!"

"One stipulation," the queen noted as she watched two colts play king of the mountain with her back. She giggled when they both toppled off, only to be replaced by the runt from earlier.

_Here it comes... _"Yes?" Trixie waited for her to be asked to do something against her own pony kind.

"Please continue to watch over my lost children," Chrysalis asked, her voice almost pleading. She had also dropped her formal voice. "I would do it myself, but I find myself enshrouded and weighed down by responsibilities I was not expecting. A proper shelter will be built for them, of course. Some pony will need to look after them. Perhaps you and the two changeling mares who have been with you would be up to the task? You will be supplied and given more help, of course. Anything the war effort does not need I shall make sure you have at the tip of your hooves." Hope glittered in her eyes as she regarded the Unicorn after voicing her request. It was as if the fate of a nation hinged upon it. In a way, it did.

Trixie almost fell over. "Ah, of course!" she replied, not exactly sure of the consequences behind accepting the charge. "I would be delighted to help."

Merlin finished, popped out from beneath the blanket with a burp and saw the impending battle on the Queen's back. Seeing the fun, he tried to gallop over. Trixie almost reached out with her magic, but she was interrupted when she felt another colt find his way beneath the blanket and begin to help himself to a snack.

"Hey!" She glared down and saw it was Merlin's sleeping partner from last night. "Not that one!" Trixie sighed and gently eased him to the other teat not favored by Merlin. The Unicorn did not have the heart to refuse a foal breakfast.

Chrysalis giggled and watched for a moment before enjoying herself with just playing with the children. "Come later today to Canterlot. I know of somepony who would be delighted to see a child's face," she said as Merlin tried unsuccessfully to climb up her flank. Sensing the growing sense of hunger for more than two hundred changeling children, she began to share her love openly with them, as if they were all her own. She was not producing milk, but she could feed them in other ways.

"Oh! I'd like that," Trixie said, watching the wiggling rear of the dark changeling nursing and wondering how her life had come to this. It wasn't too terrible, she decided, but the soreness was definitely going to be a problem. "I might have to take you up on that offer for a wetnurse," she admitted, wincing as she discovered changelings liked to tug just as hard as ponies.

"I'll see to the arrangements," promised Chrysalis with a chuckle. "I can feel the love they have for you after just a short time. Do you realize the trust you have gained from them by showing the most minute of kindness to them? Once I would have thought you weak." She mused, finding Merlin sniffing up at her, unafraid and curious. Bopping him on the snout with her own, he giggled and rolled off, little legs flailing in the air.

Trixie listened, not daring to interrupt. She sensed the invisible _but_.

"Perhaps my people have had it wrong," she admitted. "We have been xenophobic, fearful of losing our own identity, always seeking to take love when we needed it by any means at our disposal. We have one thing right," she noted, lifting her chin and smiling at Trixie.

"Oh? What's that?"

"It takes mares to run the world. Males always seem to want to grind everything into dust." Gently she shook herself free of children and rose to her hooves. "I'll have the contract drawn up for you to go over and see if it is to your liking. We can haggle over the details later. For now, you may tell the guards I will leave here your needs. The changeling mares know what changeling children need and they will instruct you if they have not already started to do so." Quietly she leaned forward, her eyes gentle as she regarded Trixie and said, "I need ponies I can trust. I charge you with protecting my children. Enemies within Canterlot are moving and I intend to stop them. I fear they will use my subjects against me while I try to ferret out the traitors. Keep them safe!"

"I will," promised Trixie, not exactly sure what she was agreeing to, but how could she refuse that last expression? It was both terrifyingly intense and desperate.

"Good."

With that, the Queen buzzed her wings and lifted away, throwing a motherly smile and the uplifted and disappointed little changeling faces who watched her leave. She shifted her attention to the camp, where every changeling there was now gawking up at her. Her eyes narrowed, thinking of the matriarchs. She made her decision, shifting her vocal chords to the Royal Speech.

"Hear Our voice, Our loyal subjects," she began, a gust of wind taking her mane and flapping it wildly behind her. It was a dramatic effect on her part, the giveaway the tell-tale glow of her crooked horn. "We are pleased to find you all beneath Our wings and safely within the lands of allies who were once Our enemies. It is their land, their laws. Learn them. Follow them. We will be watching and We demand you begin to plan for the eventual return to our Kingdom." Chrysalis gave them a moment to digest her words. Then, she shifted her thoughts to the colts, her face an unreadable mask again. "For you matriarchs who follow the old traditions, your Queen will take them if you no longer are able to care for them. From this day forth, all colts abandoned are to be adopted as Our children as those who birthed them cannot seem to plan carefully the management of their households. That is all."

In one fell swoop, two hundred plus changeling colts now outranked their mothers by the simple act of adoption, as was the Queen's right to pretty much do as she damned well pleased when asserting herself. If they had been from houses of higher noble standing, then perhaps their matriarchs would have a say, but there were suddenly a lot of princes milling around Trixie. It was not exactly the way Queen Chrysalis wanted to start reasserting her authority in the baby steps required to get order back into her kingdom and her subjects, but it was surprisingly effective.

* * *

Later that evening, Trixie and Merlin were picked up after feeding the brand new princes (there were suddenly a lot of volunteers offering to help for some reason). The Guards pulling the chariot were polite and had to fend off a swarm of curious changeling children who simply had to touch everything. Merlin's new friend who had shared the basket was included in the trip, the changeling foal Trixie had decided to name Nibbles. With both colts hanging on the side of the basket strapped to her back, Trixie settled on the chariot and once the children were cleared from it and its pathway, they were off to Canterlot to see Queen Chrysalis and the somepony she had mentioned earlier that morning.

Merlin and Nibbles loved the experience. Shrieking in glee, they were oblivious to the simple fact Trixie could not bear to look down. She quickly discovered she hated flying, felt a little queasy in the stomach, and as a result squeezed her eyes shut for most of the trip. By the time she had landed, the poor show pony was a little green. The children were giggling with each other.

"Trixie is not amused," she told them, admittedly amused with them laughing at her. She wrapped them lightly on their heads with her magic, finding her smile in their laughter.

The Unicorn's stomach settled soon after touching solid ground and she was escorted by an Earth pony Royal Guard. The boys wanted down, so she put them at her hooves, told them to stay close and went after the patient guard who remarked he had a filly about their age. Keeping the changeling and pony foals between them, they chatted about raising children and the challenges and the baby firsts. It was nice to socialize with another pony and not worry about how the show would do or if how many ponies would show up. Talking family came easily when it came to children. Merlin and Nibbles spent a good deal of time chasing each other between legs of the adults, squealing in delight, much to the amusement of the castle staff and other guards they came across.

For a place in such a gloomy mood, hearing the laughter of foals was a break in the lethargy and brooding from the war drawing ever nearer to Canterlot with each passing day. Eventually they found themselves at the entrance to the personal library of Princess Celestia. There were teams of ponies going in and out of the room, quietly brining in and out materials and books, most speaking quietly with each other. There were a few uniforms about, officers discussing logistics and troop movements and other things they should not have.

A rather chubby and well dressed Unicorn with a monocle introduced himself as Ivory Buttons at the door. He was just going in with a large rolled parchment tied at the center with a bit of ribbon. Trixie wondered why she was detecting illusion magic from him and why nopony else seemed to notice it.

"Is something wrong?" asked the Unicorn as he caught her odd stare.

She shook her head, smiling, "Trixie apologizes. Trixie has never seen a monocle before," the mare lied, her instincts telling her to not trust this stallion.

The Guard leaned over to her and said, "That's Mr. Ivory Buttons, Secretary of Defense and confidant to Princess Celestia."

"Oh." Trixie blinked. "Oh! Trixie apologizes as she did is not familiar with those who server our illustrious Princess." She offered a curtsy to the other Unicorn.

"It's quite all right, my dear," Ivory said with a jolly little laugh. He did seem taken aback by the mare's preferred method of speech. He indicated the colts with a hoof. "I presume the Unicorn to be yours, but what of the changeling boy?"

"Merlin is mine and Nibbles was recently adopted by Queen Chrysalis," Trixie explained as they went in. She thanked the Guard who wished her a good night, then bowed to Ivory Buttons. He left quietly to resume his duties.

The Secretary of Defense guided the mare and her two foals through sea of ponies and books. The two boys had to be placed in her basket as there were simply too many ponies and too many things to topple over and rip and break and... well, foals would be foals if given half a chance. They came to the far end of the library, which had more or less become Celestia's place of residence with everything going on. It was now her personal nerve center to what was going on as the throne room felt too cheerful to hold war conferences and whatnot (her indifference was starting to take its toll). Queen Chrysalis sat with the princess, both on matching lounges and discussing Manehatten and its beleaguered defenders. Celestia had her flanks covered, as usual.

"Street to street fighting has bogged down the Diamond advance," Chrysalis was saying as she had a map levitated between the two matriarchs. "They'll more than likely settle for a siege and go around the city and try to push for Phillydelphia. We'll have to make some sort of stand there while we ready for the counter offensive. We're almost ready for that."

"The casualties," Celestia sighed sadly, wanting to do something, but her mind was so muddled she could not think straight. "I don't know what to do."

"My Ladies," Ivory Buttons interrupted politely. "I believe you were expecting Miss Trixie, your Majesty." He handed the scroll he had been carrying to Chrysalis who accepted it with cold grace. Trixie thought she saw hostility in the eyes of the Queen, masked by her warm smile.

Chrysalis lowered the map, smiling at Trixie briefly before focusing her attention on the fat stallion. "Thank you, I have been. Is this the report I asked for?" she inquired, pointing at the parchment.

"It is, your Majesty."

"Did you read it?" she asked archly.

"I read everything, Queen Chrysalis. Matters of state security, you understand." He handed it over, relinquishing to her magic.

She nodded. "Of course. That will be all. I'm ordering a break for the princess for an hour before we proceed with work. Please clear the library and leave us."

"Yes," Celestia murmured, raising her head and smiling at Ivory Buttons. She was deferring all decisions to Chrysalis, which seemed to dismay the Secretary of Defense. "A break would be fine. And more tea! Do be a dear and have one of the servers bring us all more, if you please. And cookies! Include cookies."

Understanding fully she was somehow disinterested in her government and even less inclined to lead her people, Princess Celestia had decided to let Queen Chrysalis decide for her. An act of madness, some would argue, yet she believed the Queen of the Changelings to be the best solution and foil to what she knew was affecting her judgement. It felt so isolated, her indifference, confined to just certain things.

Ivory Buttons bowed and departed, clearly troubled in his thoughts.

"You're overplaying him, Tia," noted Chrysalis with a chuckle.

The princess grinned at the dark monarch. "I know, Chryssi." She focused on Trixie, her magenta eyes suddenly serious. "I am so glad you came," she said. "but I must ask you one important question."

Thinking she was somehow in trouble, the show pony swallowed hard. "Yes?"

"Did you sense anything at all odd about Ivory Buttons? It does not matter how small or trivial." She was intent and staring, expectant. "Please."

"Well," Trixie gave it a thought, "Trixie does think this Ivory Buttons has an illusion spell upon him. It is very strange and very powerful, but Trixie could see it."

Celestia closed her eyes and slumped back dejectedly. "Oh, Mother, for how long?" she asked herself. Shaking her head, she sighed and turned to Chrysalis. "You were right. And you say he's not a changeling?"

"We'll both need to deal with him," Chrysalis said, her head shaking slowly from side to side. "I am not looking forward to that confrontation. Which one could he be, I wonder?"

"I'm sorry?" Trixie was clearly confused.

Celestia suddenly smiled, looking at the mare warmly. "Oh, you've simply confirmed what Chrysalis had suspected but could not herself be sure of."

"We've been tracking somepony for months. You simply fitted the final piece into the puzzle, thanks in no small part to your expertise in illusionary magic." The queen grinned toothily, exposing her fangs. It was predatory and a bit frightening. "But never mind that. Something far more important requires your devotion to your princess."

"What is that?" asked Trixie with dreadful curiosity.

Celestia shifted her attention to the two squirming forms in the basket on Trixie's back. "I was promised I could play with a foal!" she stated with a pout.

Trixie beamed suddenly as she pulled Merlin out and presented him before the Princess of the Sun, who took him into her hooves with delight. Just as he settled into her loving embrace, Nibbles was floated over to the dark monarch, who received him with as much joy.

"Oh, and Trixie?" Chrysalis spoke up, her eyes half closed in contentment as she felt Nibbles tug at her mane.

"Yes, your Majesty?"

"We are not amused you spoke again in the third person."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Being Silent**

"_Thus begins your punishment I spoke to you of," spoke the blind griffin in a fatherly voice. "Karma has a way of coming back in one form or another, the means of which matters not in how it comes to the one to which karma is owed. Think of this as the lesson you must learn for your actions. Truth be told, this is but a test of your leadership, your mettle, and your heart. I know the names well and I share your heavy heart, my student. This burden is yours. I am but a teacher, not a prince of a fallen race." _

Silent Wing stared quietly at the sheet of paper before him. Upon it were three names he knew well and thought he could have trusted. Besides each name was the list of charges against them, drawn up by the ship's quartermaster, Captain Blazing Cruise, who was also responsible for the conduct of all of those not a part of the ship's crew. His golden eyes ran down the list, his heart crushed by immeasurable disappointment and sadness.

Impersonating a pony. Drinking while on duty. Fighting other members of the crew. Malicious mischief for damaging the ship's galley. Lying to a superior officer. Using racial slurs. Theft of ship stores, namely stealing and hoarding the Love Spheres meant for all changelings on board. Resisting arrest. Assaulting a superior officer. Attempted murder.

The last two charges sent chills down the prince's spine and it was after only one of the names. "Only," he spat, spitefully, glaring again at the last name on the list.

Every shred of trust he thought he and his changelings had fought and scraped for had been dashed away in an instant, a blink of an eye.

There was a knock at his door. Silent Wing put Applejack's statement down, turning his attention from his desk to not the door, but his window. "Enter."

He gazed out, noting the ocean was only a few hundred feet below the ship as the loss of the lift augmenter had dropped the ship from four thousand feet. It had been one of those oddball incidents coinciding with the events behind the statement Applejack had written. For the past day she limped along, having lost most of her speed in the process. The augmenters also aided in giving the _Aurora_ a slight boost in speed, but nowhere near the three hundred plus miles per hour. That required a special kind of magic taking a full day to charge. As it was, the ship chugged along into the wind at fifteen miles per hour, the damage having been more extensive than at first imagined.

His cabin door opened, squeaking on its hinges. With quill pen and parchment, Silent scribbled out one simple request. "Frakas?" he called out quietly.

"You rang?" his oldest friend replied cheerfully. Nothing seemed to get his lieutenant down.

"Take this request to Captain Cruise," Silent replaced his quill and blew on the paper so the ink might dry faster. He then folded it and passed it on to Frakas, who in turn took hold of it with his magic.

The changeling grinned, trying his best to remain positive for his prince. "Consider it delivered." Something crossed his mind and he paused, shrugging as he asked, "Hey, need anything else while I'm gone? Something to drink? Something to eat? Princess Luna? You're looking tense."

A tired but grateful smile crossed Silent's face and he shook his head. "Nothing, thank you. Deliver that message and don't come back unless he gives you a response. It's important."

"I know, I know. I don't plan on letting you down."

"Hey, Frakas?"

"Yeah?" The changeling paused again, his solid sapphire eyes blinking.

Silent breathed out slowly, flickering his eyes to his friend, the only one remaining of two he truly considered ever being a brother. "How are the others taking it? What's your assessment?"

Frakas frowned, a pregnant pause following. "Well," he said finally, "Let's just say they're disappointed they're not going to be getting any more classes on equine etiquette and Equestrian do's and don'ts. With everypony confined to quarters during the investigation and trial there's a sense they've all done something wrong."

Silent nodded and thanked Frakas. The changeling bobbed his head and disappeared, closing the door behind him. The emotions of the ship were swimming through his head like storm waters upon the face of a cliff. There was a lot of anger, a lot of confusion, and especially hate. Blazing Cruise had suggested through grit teeth to the prince confining his changelings to their bunk room and the prince reluctantly agreed. The pure hate and venom flowing from the Pegasus sent shivers down Silent's spine and he shrank visibly from the Captain.

The colt had to cut them off, the emotions. His changeling blood could detect them as easily as the others, even smelling them if the emotions were strong enough. It made him feel nauseous, sending his head reeling. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself, taking control of his senses and blocking them out. It was difficult for any changeling to do so. Most simply learned to ignore it, deal with it.

To go with his lessons on changeling society, it was suggested by Tseng Tzu the changelings be introduced to the ways of Equestrian society, specifically relationships as marriage and equality appeared to be a foreign concept to the dark colts who thought such things to be almost heretical. This was a grand way to spoil the daily boredom ship travel had proven to be. It was also great fun, as the members of the Mane Six were more than happy to offer their help, with the exception of Fluttershy, who was terrified at the idea of public speaking. It was thought they could discuss the Elements of Harmony while they were at it, almost as a bonus.

He looked at an abridged copy of maritime laws, picking it up and flipping through a few pages until he found the one he had bookmarked earlier. Everything that could be done had been done. All he was capable of doing and had been at his disposal was exhausted. The evidence had been overwhelming, the witnesses all saying almost the same story verbatim.

All three had been under the influence of a banned drug. All three had participated in the same crimes. All three would share the same punishment. But what?

There was a soft knock at his door. So soon? No, it had to be somepony else.

"Enter," he grunted, not really in the mood for visitors.

Rainbow Dash pushed the door open, her eyes seeking him out for a moment from beneath her rainbow colored bangs. "Hey kid, how are you feeling?" she asked, not sure if she should enter or not. The older mare observed for herself Silent Wing looked terrible.

"Hurt. Betrayed. A failure." The colt hung his head. "What did I do wrong to cause them to do this to everypony? I worked so hard to get them to earn the trust we need in order to work together. I wanted them to be your friends, eyes to watch your backs." The words tumbled over themselves as the colt's voice cracked. Silent Wing's composure was wavering, but he held it, sucking in a deep breath and bringing his head up. There was intense and burning anger in his eyes beginning to flare to life.

"It's not your fault," Dash began daring to enter the dragon's den as she could feel the colt's anger.

She knew wounded pride when she saw it. The rainbow mare quietly came up behind the prince and reached a hoof out to his shoulder. He flinched, head spinning to her, eyes wide, a growl rumbling softly from deep within his chest. She thought she was trying to touch a grumpy cat for a moment.

Silent sighed, relaxed and slumped a little. "Then why did I fail if it was't my fault, Lady Dash?" he asked. The colt had started using the term Lady with all the mares at the suggestion of Luna. "The assault on Lady Applejack have as much my hooveprints all over it as those who struck her. All she was doing was seeing colts pilfering the pantry. They saw a threat to their mission of stealing manufactured love."

Rainbow Dash realized at that point she was speaking to a predator. It was in his eyes, the way his fangs flashed in the streaming light angling in through the window. This was her first perspective in seeing the young prince as something other than a cross between a pony and a changeling. Sure, she had heard there was a bit of dragon in him, but at that moment she felt a spine tingling chill like the frozen feet of mice dancing up and down the middle of her back. Silent flickered darkly, his form wavering. Or was that just a trick of the light?

"Lady Dash, you don't understand," he continued. "It is my fault because I trained them that way. I wanted my changelings to be aggressive, to be able to think for themselves. I wanted them to be a force to protect those who can't protect themselves. I wanted them to represent the pride of my kingdom. I wanted them to give my mother a sense she could have warriors she could depend upon when she called for them in a time of need."

"You wanted to make heroes." Rainbow Dash smiled, understanding the dreams of youth. She still had them herself and was living her dream of not only becoming a member of the Wonderbolts, but leading them.

Quietly he stared at the chromatic Pegasus and nodded once. "If you please, Lady Dash. I would like to be alone. I need to think on how I am going to punish my friends."

He suddenly found himself in a full embrace, which surprised him. Rainbow Dash did not strike him as the sort of mare who hugged. It was a warm, friendly embrace and he could smell her scent distinctly, like rain clouds and something else he could not identify. Knowing her, she would probably tell him he was also smelling her awesomeness.

"Hey, you're cool in my book, kid," she said, still holding him. "You've got a cool dream. Don't give up on it because something bad happens. If you want something bad enough, you fight for it. Grab hold and don't ever, ever let go. You got that?"

Just then Frakas entered. The changeling saw Rainbow Dash draped over his prince and he stared for a moment, his lower jaw sliding back and forth, registering surprise. "Um, should I come back later or is an audience allowed to see this?" he asked innocently.

Both jumped away from each other as far as the cramped quarters would allow it. Things were knocked about and various objects clanked and tinked and banged to the floor, followed by the ominous clatter of a pewter plate formerly containing the remnants of the prince's half eaten lunch.

"Nothing happened!" Rainbow Dash stated to Silent Wing. She turned to Frakas, he eyes still wide, her face very red. "Nothing happened! Nothing was going to happen! It was just a hug. Do you understand a hug? And why were you spying on us? Are you a spy, you spy?"

"You are _terrible_ at turning tables," Frakas said with a grin to the mare. "Don't worry. I won't tell Luna. Only because I don't want her eating my prince alive."

He had to squish himself against the wall as she stormed past, her eyes flat and staring straight ahead. Her ears flickered in annoyance in his direction, the tip of her tail slapping Frakas in the face. He maintained his grin, being very polite and even bowing to her. Frakas was quite happy to know the mares, thinking them very nice and pleasant, if a bit weak and soft. The soft part wasn't so bad, he decided, having received a few hugs from Pinkie Pie when she caught him unawares. The Pink Terror had faded a bit in his mind and was being replaced by the Pink Stalker. All changelings were susceptible to her pouncing hugs as she lived up to her self-given title of moral officer on board the _Aurora_.

Of course, even though they were approaching middle age, the Mane Six had wonderful flanks to stare at and Frakas, along with his fellow adolescent changeling cadets, did stare liberally when they thought nopony was looking. With Silent Wing being the prince and therefore the official representative of the Changeling Kingdom (adding the Emerald sticker before it felt demeaning to Frakas), the second in command of the changelings on board the airship felt it was his duty to do double booty staring to make up for having somepony behave himself.

There was even a pool as to which pony was best pony among the five. It changed weekly, sometimes daily, but Applejack usually led the pack (unwittingly) as she mothered all of them. Rarity was best described by the changelings as a kind matriarch, rightfully associating with Frakas and his group as little as possible and only speaking to them when she wanted a favor. It was not so much as a like or dislike issue. Rather it was the comfort issue. Rarity was not at all comfortable around the changelings, save for the prince.

"Well?" Silent broke his lieutenant's thoughts as the door closed after Rainbow Dash.

"You can see them if you wish, boss," reported the changeling as he began picking things up and setting them in their proper places. "Captain Cruise says all you got to do is let him know in person yourself and he'll take you to them. Supervised, of course."

"Of course," Silent grunted, not at all surprised. "Nothing happened and nothing was going to happen," he told his friend, referring to the hug.

"Nothing ever does, my prince," commented Frakas as he considered the pewter plate. "And that is so disappointing. You have no idea how much money is riding on you to finally, you know... do it."

"Oh, that thing is still going on?" Silent was curious. "What's the pool up to?"

"Last I checked," Frakas did a mental calculation, his head bobbing as he moved numbers, added, and came up with his tally. "Eh, I'd say it's sitting around three grand. At least."

"From just those here?"

"No, from the whole company," replied the changeling as he set the plate on the table. "Every payday the boys add a little more to the pot. Bets are always changing as this has become the most anticipated wait since Octavia's last album."

Silent's mood had been lifted, but not by the subject, but by Frakas simply speaking to him about something completely off topic and benign. "Thanks, buddy," he said simply as he grinned weakly at his second.

"Anything for a brother, brother."

* * *

Later, having left his prince's room Frakas found himself outside of Princess Luna's quarters and knocked nervously, not sure if she was up or would even be in a mood to receive visitors.

"Come in, good Frakas," came a muffled response from the other side.

_How does she do that?_ The cadet opened the door and found himself in a darkened room with only a single narrow shaft of sunlight piercing from between the drawn curtains, effectively splitting the luxury suite in half. The lone shaft fell upon a crescent moon cutie mark of the dark Alicorn who appeared to be dozing as Frakas felt his vision slowly adjust to the dimness of the room. He avoided looking at the sunlight, as it scrambled his night vision.

"Have a seat," she invited, gesturing to a stool near her oval bed. It sat low to the ground, two pairs of silvered slippers lined up neatly along the board. "May I offer you refreshment?" Luna asked politely as the changeling settled on the stool.

"Ah, not thanks, your highness," he replied, a little nervously. "If I may be frank?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"You scare the living piss out of me, Princess Luna."

The Princess of the Moon was caught off guard by the statement, but she laughed merrily, throwing her head back and tossing her mane. "Oh! Friend Frakas, what a thing to say! I have come to hold you as a friend. You have nothing to fear from me. I thank you for the humor," she said through a giggling chuckle.

"I had to get that out. You've never spoken to any of us changelings in private before, save for the prince. And we all know why you want time with him," said the changeling with shuffle of his hooves as he leaned forward. His ears were up and on the princess as she returned his gaze with an unwavering one of his own.

"And why do I want time with Prince Silent Wing?" she asked plainly. Her mane was starry, magical, containing within it the night itself. It also was darkening. "Think you I wish to have my way with him, to ravish him, to do as I please with him?"

Without blinking or hesitating, Frakas replied, "Yep."

"Such a thing to say!" she cried, sitting up and staring in mute shock.

"Look, if you're going to strike me down for speaking the plain truth, then at least let me tell you something I think you should know." Frakas might have been terrified in the presence of one of the most powerful magical beings on the face of the planet, but he also had the intestinal fortitude to speak truthfully and without reservation, whatever the repercussions might be. "Let me get this story off my chest and you can beat me, kill me, ravish me," - her eyes narrowed dangerously - "Kidding! Sheesh. It's about Silent Wing and why he's the way he is around mares. You might think he's getting better, but there's a story to it I think you should know. Keep in mind, a lot of it is heresay and speculation, but it has to do with the night after his first courtship ended with the murder of his intended."

His stool was suddenly scooting closer to the bed, the Alicorn's horn glowing in the darkness. "Speak your story," she bade, settling down and making herself comfortable.

Frakas nodded, cleared his throat and tried to focus on one of the most terrifying nights ever to strike the noble houses of the Emerald Kingdom. "Her name was Baethesa. She was the youngest daughter of a very minor house and the only filly to be offered to Queen Chrysalis to whom which Silent Wing might become consort to. Long story short, after making the public announcement, that night brought the deaths of not only the Lady Baethesa, but almost the entirety of the house, save the matriarch."

Luna blanched. "That is horrible!" she exclaimed. "Why would they do such a murderous thing?"

"Politics are deadly when jealous houses think another will jump them by the act of a possible union with a more powerful house. It would not have been an issue if Silent Wing had been a part of another house, if he had been but a normal changeling. If he had been a normal changeling raised as a foundling under the house of the Queen, then there would have been no slaughter." Frakas sighed sadly. "You have to understand the nobility love perfection and pursue the perfect changeling as the ideal to represent their houses. Malformed males are killed or abandoned and malformed mares are simply kept hidden and used for breeding purposes."

"Monsterous," hissed Luna, shaking her head. "It is worse than the lessons Silent gave to the crew."

"For good reason," Frakas said with a shrug. "We are barbarians. We do kill each other often. The common folk get along with each other fine, but with the nobility and the constant fighting to determine which house is the strongest, the streets will run with blood almost on a nightly basis. In this case, the murder of Baethesa set something off in Silent Wing."

"Did he know her long?"

"No. They had never met before until their mothers decided to bring them together and discuss the courtship. They had written to each other for the allotted two months and decided the filly and the prince should meet and formalize everything. It was to become official. I was there, invited to be his second and she had her older sister be hers. Every eye in that room that day could tell something sparked between my prince and that girl." Frakas wore a wistful face, sniffled a little, and continued, "They liked each other. Have you any idea how rare that is on the first day of initiating a courtship?"

Luna blushed, thinking of the announcement Chrysalis made at the farewell feast several weeks ago. "I've heard of changeling mares trying to kill the proposed intended. Is it true?"

Frakas nodded. "Sometimes it's arranged just to get rid of a troublesome stallion."

Luna stared. "Get on with your story. As disturbing as I find it, I feel I must know now."

"You will, highness," Frakas said, leaning back and tilting his head down. He narrowed his eyes to regain the focus of his story. "As I was saying, the Lady Baethesa was a very gentle filly, a little older than the prince and liking him right away. All the other letters of inquiry the Queen had received from other houses in attempting to arrange for her prince was flatly rejected. All she needed was the youngest daughter who would not be in line to become a matriarch unless she formed her own house. But, she finally received a reply and Baethesa would become a part of Silent's life. Oh, Queen Chrysalis was elated!

"The other houses disapproved and only because they hated the prince. They thought him a twisted joke. Every year on the day designated as his day of birth determined by the Queen, a single letter is sent to her, signed by the matriarchs of the five most powerful noble houses, demanding Prince Silent Wing to be put to the death for being an affront to changeling purity. Having read the first few in his young life, the Queen stopped reading them and simply discarded the letters, burning them with contempt and anger. By law, houses can make such a request once a year as a favor. By law, the Queen can refuse the request, even if it is a group request. They are forbidden the rest of that year from making a formal request.

"Since they could not have his head, word reached them quickly through their spies and they decided to cut out his heart. That night the Lady Baethesa was killed, as I said before and the only member of the house left alive was the matriarch. All of her children were slain by Infiltrators, changeling mares specifically trained to kill. I think a single one would be a difficult enough challenge for the prince as it stands now, but their loyalty extends to those who have the bits to afford them."

"Professional assassins?" Luna asked, feeling sick listening to the whole story.

The changeling nodded. "The Queen was sent a letter the following morning as she heard of the killings to 'keep her mongrel caged'. She nearly shattered the whole palace with her rage. The whole city could hear her, feel her magic. There were a few servants unlucky enough to be in her path who were ripped apart. However, as no attack was directed against her or her family directly and the three day Passage had not come to pass -"

"Wait, what is this Passage you speak of?" Luna asked, tilting her head to one side.

"If any houses object to a courtship, they have three days with which they can formally reject the request. Unfortunately the weaker of the two houses is usually subject to the wrath of the house or houses who object. Usually it is done by a letter and a personal request from one matriarch to the other. This, however was harsh even by our standards. They wanted to make Queen Chrysalis and all houses in the kingdom know how strongly they were offended by the very existance of the prince."

Frakas felt his throat going dry. A glass of water was floated before him and he took it, smiling in thanks. Draining half the glass, he set it on the floor and continued.

"Now, if such an act is done, the responding house to the objection may do something in equal measure in the form of a retaliation. In this case, the responder could only be Silent Wing as he was the intended consort to the house of his murdered intended. As this was the first time he thought he would have what is defined by changelings as happiness between a mare and a stallion, he was naturally crushed. As a male, he could do nothing to mares or matriarchs, but he could act against other stallions. He chose to go after the primary consorts of each of the five responsible as well as a sixth one, an upstart house trying to gain recognition and prestige by its matriarch allying herself with the five. It was his right to do so, to choose his target. However, none could help him, not the Queen, not his friends, nopony at all. With the gravity of the act done against him, there was only one retaliation possible in the eyes of changeling law.

"The Queen had him followed, of course, knowing him to be no coward and not afraid to take upon things he could not handle. She intended to let him try, so he might save face, but with Captain Myzanum to watch over him and pull him out eventually as she assumed would happen. I remember seeing his face and into his eyes right before he left. I saw nothing but death in them, Princess Luna," Frakas murmured with a shudder, his voice dropping as he recalled the memory with vivid clarity. He would never forget it.

"Nopony knows how he did it. Some say he had the aid of shadowy demons, that a dark mist followed him into each of those houses. No colt his age should have been able to do what he did, but in a span of five hours, he did exactly what he told me what he intended to do, taking their heads and placing them at the gates of the house of his dead Baethesa. He did not know her for barely a day and he grieved for her. He went out there and by some means unknown presented to a fallen house the heads of the favored stallions of six houses."

Tears were beginning to fall from the changeling's face as he remembered seeing his prince's haunted face when he came home that morning. He did not bother to wipe them away. They were tears of pride.

"The Queen was shocked when she learned what had happened. She asked the captain if he had helped the prince. Myzanum denied it, saying he tried to follow the prince, but some force prevented him from following the prince into each mansion. She tried to question the prince what he did, but he could not answer or chose not to answer. He refuses to speak of it. He has blocked it from his mind and does not recall it happening if asked. Some things are not discussed anyway, belonging to the past and best forgotten. But to this day, he fears any mare getting close to him will become killed. I also think he's afraid of what might happen after if it should happen again."

Luna was indeed caught completely unprepared for this tale. She watched Frakas as he picked up his glass with his magic and stared at it.

Finally, Frakas ended his tale with, "The next night was the attempt on his life, the graduation party at the palace gardens. I was there. Silent Wing appeared by all accounts to be his normal self, as if his night of slaughter had been done by a different changeling. The Queen reacted in her full fury and killed the assassin. We nearly lost our prince that night, but we didn't. Instead, it became the night he learned to fly, saving his sister in the process from the cliffs and finally convincing his mother the Queen to declare to all the houses any actions against her son would be considered a personal assault upon herself to which she would take it personally. She spent the next few nights hunting down each and every matriarch who did harm to her son and though she could not kill them, beat them mercilessly for hours, making them feel her pain upon their bodies."

He sighed, fidgeting as he let Luna soak in the story, her eyes swirling in disbelief. "It did awaken, then," she said quietly.

"I beg your pardon, princess?" Frakas looked at her curiously.

"It is nothing." She smiled at him and said, "Your story certainly sheds a new light upon him. I thank you for sharing it."

"I feel as though I betrayed him in telling you," the changeling said unhappily.

"You did your prince a great deal of good and you helped me to understand him a bit more. I think I know how I can approach him now. Tell no one of this conversation. If any pony asks, I was curious as to your opinion on how you thought Prince Silent Wing is handling this current incident with his changelings," she instructed gently, offering a helpful smile.

"One more thing, if I might add," Frakas said, rubbing his spiny short mane uncomfortably.

She perked up, inclining her chin. "Yes?"

"I think Master Tseng Tzu knows more about what's going on with Silent with that night in question. He's always seeming to know something about the prince and always seems to steer him in a direction away from his rage, to control it. It's in the way we're taught to channel our energies and try to focus on positive life forces and all that stuff." The changeling got up and mindfully set his glass on the table where a glass pitcher sat, upending it.

"I see."

"I guess I should get going."

Luna smiled at him. "I thank you again, good Frakas."

"I'm not that good, princess."

She told him with a dry chuckle, "You are better than you think."

* * *

On the day of the trial, the entire ship's compliment was gathered on the observation deck while the sentences would be handed out. The three accused were in chains before Captain Gilda and her stern gaze, looking straight ahead and at the position of attention. None blinked beneath the midday sun. It was swealtering. To one side stood Silent Wing who had asked for and was given permission to pass sentence under the strict guidance of the ship's captain. The ship was at a complete stop, a large and deserted island having been found by the magical map at the prince's questioning.

His idea for sentencing was perhaps even harsher than Gilda would have suggested, who would have simply kept them confined on ship and in the brig for the duration of the voyage, handing them over to the proper authorities for a proper sentencing. Silent Wing had drawn a line in the sand, his proposal sending shocks to those who initially heard it on the night they deliberated at dinner. The prince had eaten nothing last night. He had eaten nothing this morning. He simply had too many knots in his stomach as the decision he had come to was not only harsh, but seemed to fit the crime. Luna found herself approving of it, thinking it a proper idea and even offering a light praise to the prince. Gilda was also impressed with the idea and immediately accepted it.

Captain Gilda cleared her throat, her first mate ready to record in the logbook the proceedings of the sentencing of the three changelings. "His Highness Prince Silent Wing will now deliver the sentence to the accused, having been found guilty of all charges against them according the maritime laws as well as the sky laws (basically maritime law for airships)."

The nine changelings watched their brothers, standing in line shoulder to shoulder were given a signal from their prince, started by a single loud tap of Frakas' front right hoof to the floor. He stood still while the others side stepped in a timed shuffling movement, in step with a sharp quick hiss after every stomp of their right front hoof to the ground. Once each was evenly spaced apart, they snapped to attention, all heads sharply falling upon the prince as he strode in front of the accused. Executing a perfect right-face, Silent Wing stood tall, his face unreadable.

"Brothers," he began, eyeing each one individually. "Do you accept the charges against you as you admitted to you on the day of your trial?"

"We do," they said as one.

"Do you accept the punishment to which you have been informed of, without reservation?"

"We do."

"Do you understand you must restore your honor and the honor of your race at a time as of yet determined, beginning upon the day we return for you?" He was stern, his voice sharp and even. The command he had over them was impressive. Silent Wing had the attention of the whole ship. Even Captain Gilda was impressed.

Luna smiled sadly, knowing this must be hard on him.

"Then you three are hereby marooned upon this island until such time as we can return and retrieve you from your sentence. Should we not return and fail in our mission, then consider yourselves fortunate as to not share our fate and live out your days in dishonor, unable to regain your lost honor in the field of battle or in the eyes of those whose trust you have lost and would no longer be able to regain." The prince looked at Frakas and nodded.

"Those with no honor receive the backs of their comrades," Frakas called out.

The other eight replied with, "Without honor, we are nothing. Without pride, we are empty shells. Without discipline, we are nothing more than animals."

Tseng Tzu winced at the statement. He was not much impressed with pride, but understood it was ingrained in changeling culture. As the old saying went, when moving mountains, it begins with picking up but a rock.

"Captain Blazing Cruise," Silent Wing called out. "I turn the prisoners over to you."

Six Pegasi assumed positions around the convicted. They turned and were lead off the ship, taking wing as they followed Applejack's husband into the air and towards the island below. As they passed the formation of changelings, one by one they were presented with the flanks as each one executed an about face. Only Silent Wing followed on hoof, walking at a quick march, his head turned away from the convicted and eyeing his changelings in line, making sure none refused the command to shun the dishonored. Once he was at the edge and watched the group head for the island, he snapped to attention and conducted his own about face, Frakas just behind him and following suit. As he passed by his changelings, they fell in step behind him, single file and silent.

Applejack saw a herd of hurt ponies march by her. Each one bowed his head in a public apology, eyes closed and noses nearly touching the ground. She was patched up and had bandages covering her cuts and bruises. Oddly touched by this display and wanting to show she did not blame them, she moved forward towards Silent Wing, cutting him off and simply giving him a hug. She moved down the line of changelings, doing the same and whispering words of encouragement to each one. The Element of Honesty could only be honest with herself, having spent the past few days understanding how badly shaken the changelings were when they discovered three of their own had participated in beating her.

Silent Wing had been among the first to respond to the commotion, the shouts waking up the entire ship as Applejack suddenly found herself from seeing what she saw as colts just trying to get a midnight snack to a vicious assault upon her person. She would later find out - as well as the rest of the ship - it was a withdrawal from a strange drug some changelings took to keep them alert and maintain their senses to a razor's edge. When they ran out, they began to have paranoid withdrawals and had gone to the ship's galley in search of finding something to replace the sensation. They stole half the stores of Love Spheres, intending to concentrate them into what would amount to a massive sugar rush even by Pinkie Pie standards. Applejack happened upon them on one of those nights where the withdrawals were especially bad. She wanted to forgive them and did so as soon as she found out why they were acting the way they had. They could not accept her forgiveness, crying like little foals as the withdrawals had subsided and they had regained their senses.

She wished it did not end this way. This was a punishment almost as bad as death in the eyes of the changelings. Honor was greatly valued by their stallions.

The changelings continued to the other side of the platform, standing facing the opposite direction as the island until the ship's crew were dismissed and every pony returned to his or her duties. They remained still as the ship pulled away from the island, her engines thumping along under the tropical sun.

Those without honor did not deserve a farewell.

All ten changelings mourned the loss of their brothers, for they were as good as dead until they rediscovered their honor. Each one hoped the three would find that spark within them, that sense of self worth trained into them by the words of a kindly old blind griffin who believed in them enough to become their teacher and to some extent, their father.

Tseng Tzu approved of this and sincerely wished the three shunned a happy life. The island was abundant with food and fresh water. Silent Wing fully intended to return for them. They were his brothers and forever would be so. The prince would not give up on them. He could not give up on them.

The Prince of the Changelings wept for them still, but looked forward to the joyful day when he could bring them back.

* * *

A day out from the shores of the land they sought, the Aurora was under attack.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**The Gathering**

Draccaria seated herself on the throne of a monarch who was no longer home, her form that of a changeling queen, her mane streaks of white and gold by choice against the smooth short fur of her coat. She had prepared for this day a long time, waiting for the civil war in Chrysalis' kingdom to simmer down to a slow strangling war of attrition between the five major houses and those opposing their declaration of rule in the face of the commoner uprising. Chamberlain Phillip had prepared for this, unleashing the every day changeling's rage upon the noble houses and their matriarchs. Many of the weaker houses were overwhelmed, families scattered. A few matriarchs were even killed at the hooves of angry mobs. Beheadings were numerous and celebrated. Changeling law and order had more or less been tossed aside for the sake of good old fashioned mob rule. Blaming the nobility for selling their beloved queen to the Equestrians to stand trial for war crimes was easy enough to do. Stoking the fires for fifteen years made the powder keg very easy to set off.

The past six bloody weeks had been like a cornucopia of mayhem to delight upon.

She smirked into the hoof-held mirror held up to her by a servant, a whisp of a thing from common stalk and very pretty. The eyes staring back at her were deliberately golden, her own eyes. She wanted them to see those eyes when they came in. The changeling filly holding the mirror trembled, very much afraid of the dragon sitting on the throne. She did not know Draccaria was a dragon, a child of Flamespyre, a Battlesinger. She only saw a queen as dark and terrible and beautiful as the one who had once sat on the throne before. There was also the matter of the three dead bodies scattered before the throne. Nothing more than examples put on display for the very effect on the girl's face now.

"You need not fear me, little one," she purred to the girl, pushing the mirror and caressing the sweet little filly's face gently with a hoof. "This little visual play is not meant for your eyes, but for those who think themselves better than all changelings."

"Yes, ma'am," the changeling filly stammered quietly, not able to look into Draccaria's golden eyes.

Smiling at the trembling maid, Draccaria sat back, settling in comfortably - rather as comfortably as the throne allowed her - and frowned. Must changeling queens sit in this as a test of their ability to withstand discomfort? It was a test of courage to sit in the blasted thing for any length of time! Still, it would serve one more purpose before she had it replaced with something a pony (or dragon) could actually sit on and be somewhat comfortable.

"How do I look?" she asked the filly, preening and flattening some folds out of her lovely gown she had made especially for this day with her front hooves.

Draccaria was clad in silver and white to imitate her favorite flower, the water lily. Two such flowers were set in her curled mane, with mother of pearl beads interwoven with her mane. Ruby earrings were set three in each ear, two smaller ones flanking a singular one in the shape of a dragon's eye. Her hooves were slippered in pearled shoes of simple elegance. A small golden loop pierced her left nostril. Upon her head and just behind her horn sat a crown of frosted flames of silver and crushed diamonds, flickering to its highest point in the center and holding aloft a dark shadowed form of a dragon rising in flight from those white flames. It was her own outline in her true form. Golden eyes appeared to gaze balefully from the shadow.

"You look very beautiful, Lady Draccaria," said the girl honestly.

The dragoness smiled, dismissing the servant. The filly left quickly, offered a deep curtsy and keeping her eyes cast to the ground. Along with the chamberlain, there were four other visitors in the throne room, each one lined up and in the shadows. They appeared as changelings, waiting for the most important visitor to arrive. They were brothers, their sister smiling at them as they fidgeted uncomfortably in bodies too small for comfort and too awkward for their tastes.

If only Silent Wing and Discord were here, then the whole brood would be present, less Scarheart. Draccaria was none too pleased the sibling with which she had argued the most with (and fought physically) was in a near vegetative state due to her father's constant tweaking and obsession with mind control. There was a time when she would have been pleased to see her youngest brother destroyed, but time and perspective had altered the feeling. She felt a bit different having seen him for the first time some years ago as she orchestrated her game from the shadows in a bid to shatter the most powerful houses to make her eventual rule of the kingdom easier to manage.

Chamberlain Phillip quietly entered. He was expected. The old stallion moved with a shuffle, the past few weeks taking a toll on his ancient body. Running a nation essentially unrunnable had worn him to the bone and these days he had a permanent look of helplessness. Lady Draccaria had returned, saw his sorry condition and ordered him a few days rest. She actually liked the old backstabbing son of a buck. After a moment speaking with him, she also was aware his proverbial wind was broken, having given his all to betray his queen, placing the strange invisible machines in her food Draccaria promised him would not harm her but encourage her to be indifferent to certain things. Looking down at the three bodies, he took his time stepping over them, mindful to not get his hooves caught up in the bloody clothing. There had been a lot of dead bodies lately. What were three more? He sighed, tired of everything as he presented himself to Draccaria.

"You summoned me, Lady Draccaria?" he asked in a feeble voice, looking up at her over glasses he no longer bothered to clean. His form shook and trembled, but not from fear.

"Remember when you asked when the Master would arrive?" she asked him, wondering just how in the world he could still be standing. Phillip was a shambled mess of a stallion, wracked from guilt, Draccaria observed as if giving a study in changeling emotion in the aftermath of a complete mental collapse.

He tottered, eyes darting about in sudden wild fear. "Is he here?" he cried, trying to make himself as small as possible.

She soothed him with her voice, leaning forward, calling gently, "No, gentle servant of a grateful kingdom. Come. Stand beside me." She indicated the spot next to the throne where years ago a certain pale colt once sat while a beautiful queen once in a while would throw him little smiles, before her daughter was born.

"I am not worthy, my Lady," he simpered.

She smiled gently again, repeating the gesture as if coaxing a foal to take his first step.

The image of an innocent foundling appeared there, looking at him, once long ago wanting to be his friend. Phillip whimpered, the ghostly sight vanishing and leaving behind it the guilt and what might have been if the word had been no instead of yes. Obediently he ascended the three steps, felt the eyes of Children of Doom fall upon him. He feared them not.

If Chrysalis returns...

When Chrysalis returns...

A tear fell unnoticed down his muzzle as he hung his head, sitting, wanting it all to end. She had offered him a sunset before she left. She had loved him in her own way, seeing him as close a father figure as was possible to be viewed by changelings. Maybe she saw him as no more than a beloved dog who was obedient and faithful. Perhaps that love had allowed her to let this old fool linger about the court longer than he should have. Perhaps he should have warned her of the creature poisoning her, but each time the reflection in the mirror staring back at him told him it was for a good cause.

"Father will come when he decides. He is expected soon. For now, rest, old friend. Fifteen years with you has earned my admiration. Your reward will come soon," she promised, her voice strangely touched yet reserved. Draccaria knew the weight he carried on his heart. In a way, she could understand his pain, the hurt, the sense of betraying that which he had loved most.

Eyes shifted from the shriveled changeling to the large haunting room devoid of furniture save for the great stone throne at the far end from the massive doors. The high ceiling bore the soot from a thousand years of soot, intentionally kept that way to promote a sense of foreboding for those who sought an audience with the sitting queen. It was purposely done to give her a psychological advantage, as were the dark marble stones and red carpeting. Tapestries depicting the greatest victories, all led by a victorious queen. One such spot on the wall remained empty, a reminder Chrysalis had left for herself...

...and forgotten for the most part.

Now she was over _there_, having already defeated one of her peers in combat.

In the bare spot were lined up four changelings unknown to Phillip. They had arrived singly over the course of the day, speaking quietly with the Lady Draccaria while Phillip went about doing the duties he was still able to. Always he would return, find another changeling speaking to the Lady. They all had strange golden eyes, like the Lady to whom he now thought of as his queen. Eventually they tallied four in number, each one as different from the other yet all related by their eyes. They were offered drinks, of course, refusing to be seated and largely ignoring the few servants skittering about nervously like mice in a den of cats.

Blood Assault had been insulted by the illusion she had used. All had been impressed by the little Emerald queen's display of power and cunning, keeping a cool head and finding victory at the right time. All would have preferred to have seen Princess Celestia in battle.

"She would have been a valuable ally," noted one of the golden eyed changelings with a hiss, noting her lingering eyes upon the bare wall. Apex was a clever dragon, working in Canterlot and taking a moment to be here at his father's summons for this meeting. The voice like scraping claws upon steel echoed in the great throne room. The acoustics turned his echoes into lingering whispers, as if possessed.

Blood Assault snorted. He was the large changeling stallion, his form as tall as Myzanum's but far less massive. Sleek and powerful, he was clad in black armor of his own magic design. When he spoke, the room rumbled like a distant avalanche. "Father knew she was too dangerous to trust. Besides, _she_ had selected her to raise our youngest brother," he growled, his words slow and thoughtful.

"Youngest half of a brother," corrected Tantibus, the middle sized changeling stallion in a brown hooded cloak. His voice was normal - for a changeling. Charged with keeping tabs on the wild changelings, he viewed his job as the most boring. But he would soon have his fun as a certain airship approached his territory. "The other half lies in Canterlot. The glue floats about the very air to bind them." He was the equivalent to Luna in terms of what he could do in dreams. Also known as the Night Dragon, he looked forward to confronting the Princess of the Moon. Soon.

Apex snorted. "Too bad Discord is not here. We never get together like this."

"He abandoned our cause long ago," Draccaria spoke out firmly. "He serves only himself. Father moved him out of the way to watch over the Topaz Queens." She did concede his point with a nod.

"Don't forget Prophet." The last of the gathered brood spoke. She was the smallest of them all, a changeling mare. Her voice was a harsh whisper, rasping. "The drunk requires a drinking partner. What better one than Discord? The two hate each other." Dreadsong was the mistress of song, her music capable of shattering eardrums and driving her enemies to madness.

"Nevermind our reluctant bearer of future sight," Draccaria announced to them as she straightened herself. "He tells us nothing. He speaks to none save into the ears of children."

"I understand they were the first children he had laid eyes upon since our smallest of brothers came screaming into this world." Apex scratched an itch on his neck. "What's his name this time? Silent Wing?"

"Who gave him that name?" wondered Tantibus curiously. "The bug witch from this palace?"

"They're not bugs, you idiot," sighed Draccaria, rolling her eyes. "They have bug-like characteristics, but they're mostly ponies with natural armor."

"But they lay eggs. Ponies give birth to live young."

"Really? Since when?" Draccaria stared hard at her stubborn brother. Tantibus always wanted to argue changelings were more insectoid than equine. "They hatch a day or two after being laid, depending on the sex and they do need to be nursed like mammals."

"Bug armor," he insisted, tapping a hoof against Blood Assault's chitin.

Dreadsong cleared her throat apologetically. "Changelings are warm-blooded."

Tantibus glared at her, but clamped his mouth shut.

"You all have a little changeling in you, my children," announced a voice from the shadows all around them. "Very quaint to hear you argue a moot point."

Phillip found himself cringing towards Draccaria, trembling violently as he felt the presence of a vast power not bothering to suppress itself. He could feel the emotions of the dragons, all fearing the monster drawing up seemingly from every shadow in the room, gathering up as a patch of darkness at the center. Up rose the red eyed Alicorn, with his midnight black coat, a living nightmare. Phillip could also sense a little contempt from Draccaria, something resembling a twisted form of love from the others. Fanaticism, he realized.

Draccaria was the chink in the armor here, he realized, quickly turning his eyes to her. She caught his look, arched a brow at him and shook her head. "To answer your question, Tantibus," she said, turning to her brother as Flamespyre was still materializing, "the answer is yes. Chrysalis did name him Silent Wing."

"After so many thousands of years," rasped Flamespyre as he stepped from the shadowed circle on the floor, "you all still behave like children to each other." He observed the room, recognizing it and letting out a grunt. Flamespyre turned to his children, amused at the forms they had chosen. They bowed reverently to him. Finally his eyes settled on Draccaria.

She did not bow, but remained seated in her throne, gazing at him coolly. It was a challenge, open and defiant. Flamespyre thought she looked adorable trying to assert authority. Nor did he mind, as he already knew what she had in planned. Children and their little schemes.

"You look lovely, my daughter," he told her as he approached the throne in long, swift strides.

He paused long enough to look at the bodies, arching a curious glance at them before noting the changeling form on the throne shrugging impishly.

"Thank you," she answered as she allowed him to kiss her cheek. For a moment they held each other's eyes, locking in a mental struggle with each other before he pulled away with a wicked smile. Draccaria was visibly shaken by whatever she had seen in his singular gaze.

"Report, my children," he began, stepping down and pacing before his gathered brood.

Phillip drew closer to Draccaria, his old and failing body quivering as he could feel the overpowering sense of superior pride emanating from the ancient creature assuming the form of an Alicorn.

"Chrysalis is a pain in the ass," grunted Blood Assault. "She keeps going back and forth between Canterlot and the front while Princess Celestia feigns illness. They're on to us because Ivory Buttons here -" he flipped an indifferent hoof at Apex, "- got sloppy with his magic. She's in control again and she's removing the ponies he's got on his payroll."

Apex shrugged. "No matter. It was a distraction, anyways. I know my real purpose there."

Flamespyre nodded, pleased. "Interesting you took the initiative you took some nanos to stall her. Be wary of her. She may be crippled, but she still has her full power."

"Eh, I was bored and stole a page from Drac's little book of subterfuge and infiltration." Apex ground his fangs, contorting with exaggerated boredom. "Waiting on the word to be given shouldn't mean I'm not allowed some fun with your toys."

"I'd rather you ask next time before taking my things, Apex."

"Yes father. I'm sorry father."

"What else?" Flamespyre cast his eyes to Draccaria. "What have you planned?"

"Oh, the incident from a couple of years ago. You know my feelings towards your obsession with the little whelp, but I shouldn't really hold that against him should I?" The dragoness tossed her mane, mindful of her crown. She smoothed the front of her dress again.

"That's very logical of you," Flamespyre said with approval. "Hate me. I don't mind. I don't ask for you to love me, just do as I command. What have you in mind?"

"Finishing what I started for him then. I gave them reason to fear him. Now I will give them reason to scream during the last pitiful moments of their lives," Draccaria purred. Watching the colt's face when he found out the changeling filly had been murdered melted her heart enough to do something about it. Perhaps it was best what she had hoped would happen did not.

"Oh, yes, I remember the report you gave me. He will soon be shed of his mortal coil and assume his rightful place among you as one of you."

Apex cleared his throat. "Father?"

"Yes?"

"It came to my attention Princess Celestia has a hypothesis you intend to use the colt as a replacement body. Is this true? Do you covet what you built purposely in another form because you feared you could not control it?"

He was suddenly grabbed by an unseen force and bodily dragged in front of Flamespyre, his left eye ablaze. "No. It is not. Do not suggest such a thing in my presence. Ever. I am a monster. I am a destroyer of races. I have shattered this world twice because I refuse to give up on my greatest work. I might even be insane because of my obsession. But I will never take that power for myself. Only gods are meant to wield it." - he shook Apex violently - "Do I make myself perfectly understood, son? I know my limits."

"So you _are_ trying to make a god," Dreadsong said, sucking in a sharp breath. "Why do we even need one, father?"

"Magic must be contained, my dear," Flamespyre replied as he released Apex from his grip. Tapping a hoof at an odd spot in the carpeting, the Dragonking regarded it curiously, wondering if it was an old blood stain or something else. "His whole purpose is to hold it and perhaps use it at my command. As for your claims a deity is in the works? No. This would imply I have the ability to alter the universe. I do not. No, he is a weapon with the sole purpose of keeping this world under my rule."

"Now you know why I grow irritable every time you want to pursue this course, father. I want us to succeed, to have the world, but we do not need a manufactured god! We are mighty in our own right! You are as powerful as any Alicorn! Why resort to giving us an idol who will want nothing to do with us? Silent Wing does not want worship. He wants to live a simple life. I have watched him grow." Draccaria shook her head, narrowing her eyes. "Despite what you think of him, despite what you might have given him in the past, you can't complete him as a project. _She_ won't let you."

An uneasy silence fell across the room as her siblings held their collective breath, their eyes falling to Flamespyre as they wondered what he might do. He had listened to her impassively, even nodding at her points. Her father was polite, his blinking eye the only movement. The dragon in Alicorn form blended in and out of the darkness, finally turning his head at the throne, inhaling. There was an uncomfortable twitch of the ears at the mention of the colt's long forgotten birth mother. No, not forgotten. Never forgotten. The Dragonking felt a flitting pang of guilt, then shook his head the thought.

He replied, "I am prepared to admit defeat if it fails a third time and destroy him if necessary. I have one Alicorn already and will soon have a second." Flamespyre had long ago conceded his daughter's point of view, having even begun preparing to accept the possibility Silent Wing was not as he had hoped he would be. Turning his back to her, he stepped away, taking in the lovely artwork of the tapestries. "I will start again. There are still a few billion years left on this world to get it right. Manufacturing evolution is never easy. I have done well enough with seven children, each magnificent in their own right." He could feel them swell with pride, save Draccaria who simply glowered at him, completely unconvinced.

"He's in love with her, father," chirped Dreadsong suddenly. "With this Luna." She began stepping forward, lowering her head as if she thought she would get in trouble for speaking up.

"I beg your pardon?" Flamespyre asked, blinking his one eye in surprise. "Clarify that statement, if you please. I'm not sure I heard that right."

She cleared her throat. "Your son Silent Wing is in love with Princess Luna. My changeling spies watched him up to the moment they began to have withdrawals and made themselves useless."

"Not bad for six weeks," murmured Draccaria. "I wonder. Does this mean he got over his squeak?"

"He's too young for that," Flamespyre said dismissively. "He's fifteen and too young to be interested in a female."

"Technically he's over five thousand years," said Apex with a grin.

"He's older than Luna," added Tantibus airily. "We should encourage him to date."

"You never pay attention to us, Father," complained Draccaria with a sigh. She rubbed her temples with a hoof and shook her head. "You get so involved with your work and want us all to do our parts, you never take a moment to just be a father." She glared at the black figure who had turned to regard her with a narrowed crimson eye. "You never take time to just _be a father_. That's all any of us ever wanted. Feel free to ask. Especially Scarheart." She paused, holding up a hoof before lowering her chin. Venomous sarcasm dripped from her voice as she hissed, "Oh, wait. He can't. You scrambled his brain so many times he's practically a drooling retarded puppy. Don't even get me started again on how you've regarded your youngest son."

Being dressed down by his opinionated daughter stirred the dragon's anger. She suddenly found her head exploding in pain the moment his left eye exploded with energy, flinging her back against the high backed throne. She ground her teeth, curling her lips in pain as she squeezed her eyes shut. Wave after wave of mental anguish assaulted her, thousands of needles piercing as trap jaws. Draccaria's body had gone stiff, little animal sounds gurgling from her throat.

Phillip reached out to her, patting her consolingly on the shoulder, his own mind declining during the conversation until he had gone senile. "That's quite all right, my Queen. Griffons are not easy to deal with," he said with a gentle smile.

Flamespyre seemed to notice Phillip for the first time and released his daughter. "What is this?" he demanded, staring at the old changeling.

The ancient stallion stared down his muzzled at Flamespyre. "Young fellow, I must ask you refrain from using such crude language before the queen. Remember where you are!" He puffed himself up poorly, as best as his frail frame could manage.

Flamespyre explored Phillip's mind, then withdrew quickly. "I see," he grunted, his tone softening slightly. "Let's move on to relevant topics. I understand we have a war we are winning. Let us make sure the right claw knows what the left is doing." He released his daughter, leaving her gasping in the aftermath of the horrors her mind had seen while under her father's mental assault.

He started with his eldest son, Blood Assault.

"How has your army recovered since the loss of Queen Alzaera?"

"She was a powerful queen, father," replied the giant. "Chrysalis did not kill her, but took her prisoner. I thought the old queen was formidable enough, but attempting an illusion on a changeling who is a mistress of illusion in her own right was a major miscalculation."

"That's too bad. Who is her replacement?"

Blood Assault replied, "The daughter has ascended the throne. Queen Harmonia is young and unproven. I will not allow her to the front, despite changeling traditions for new queens to be blooded in battle. On top of that, she is pregnant."

"I swear you all take too much interest in your changelings," grumbled Flamespyre as he rolled his eye and shook his head. "So the advance continues? What of your ground forces? You've brought up your minotaur heavy infantry, haven't you?"

"Yes, father. They are very good against Earth ponies. No changeling can really match them on the ground, so the minotaurs are needed to clear out large cities like Manehatten. I'd rather we just bypass the city and press on to Phillydelphia."

Flamespyre nodded at this. "Very good. How are your reserves and supplies?"

"Supply trains are stretched. We're trying to keep them guarded by using our reserves to guard key points along the main routes." Blood Assault was not too happy to voice his frustrations, but he pressed by saying, "We keep getting resistance from the locals. Guerilla tactics. Nothing major yet, but if this keeps up, they're going to get bold and try something big and more disruptive. I'd like to bring up the Rubies to scour the conquered territories to stamp out the resistance."

The Dragonking sharply regarded Dreadsong. "Get him what he needs, keep those supplies going to the front."

"Yes, Father," she replied with a polite inclination first to him, then to Blood Assault. Her brother reciprocated the respect.

Flamespyre nodded, not displeased. Such things were expected in war. He had fought enough in his time. "Very good. We need to conserve our strength and start drawing out their heavy hitters."

"Phase four, then?" asked Apex excitedly.

"Yes. You may all show your hands and begin involving yourselves directly in the fighting. Do as you will, just remember the goal. Tantibus, you are to go after Luna as planned. Attack them a day from shore. Take Captain Myzanum with you to see if he can bring out a bit of the dragon in my Silent Wing. I understand the penalty for assaulting any queen has but one outcome."

"Consider it done, Father," said Tantibus with a grin. His horn glowed as he was dismissed with a wave of a hoof and a nod from Flamespyre. He blinked in a cloud of inky smoke, teleporting halfway around the world to prepare to meed his brother.

Flamespyre shifted attention to his eldest son. "Blood Assault, you will begin taking a personal interest in the front. Get involved. I want you to try and draw out Chrysalis."

"She may not come out, Father," said the big changeling indifferently. "If she does, she'll need help." It was a modest assessment. In his natural form, Blood Assault was the sort of dragon who preferred letting his fangs and claws do his fighting, not his magic. He might as well been no different from the regular dragon species, which was perfectly fine with him.

"Tappis and Tappaz have sent their assassin after the Emerald Queen. Let's see if she is successful. She should be striking soon."

Draccaria blanched. "Wraith?" she asked, having recovered from her father's chastisement. "She's mad. She serves a pair of mad queens." Not to mention just flat out disturbing to look upon. She had seen the twisted pale changeling once. It made her shudder with revulsion.

"She'll be an amusing distraction. Do not discount her, my daughter," Flamespyre said with a grin. "Infiltrators such as her are rare. She will be a challenge to our favorite queen. If she can eliminate her, so much the better. Let's see what happens."

"Do you still wish me to stay with you as you move the Topaz army into position?" Draccaria asked, shifting the subject. "They are all ready to go, their generals at your command."

"Good. What's the number on them?" Flamespyre asked.

"Around half a million."

"And the portal stablizers?"

"In place and in perfect working order."

"Very good. Excellent work."

"Thank you, father." Draccaria hinted insincerity, but a reproachful look from Flamespyre made her flinch.

"Very well, my children," he announced briskly, stomping a hoof and smiling. "It would appear all is moving as planned, with a few minor deviations. Let's put on the pressure and finish this war. I'll worry about my personal project after we have everything under our control." His eye swept over his brood, wondering which of them would fall. They were not invincible. He had his ideas, his thoughts. Flamespyre had not yet spoken his intentions for Princess Twilight Sparkle nor Princess Luna. Nor did he plan to. Fathers were allowed to keep some secrets from their children, after all.

Especially Draccaria. She would certainly object, having already harped incessantly of his experiments on Twilight Sparkle. As much as he despised his daughter, she was the most gifted of his children and could hold her own against him respectably. Should he use her against Celestia? It would be a good test to measure the power of her magic and see how it fares against a being who feeds off solar energy to feed her own magic.

"By the way," the Dragonking noted idly, his attention falling to the bodies on the floor. "What is with the unusual decor?"

"I'm planning to make a point to the five major houses," she replied, leaning on an elbow and resting her chin on her hoof. "What you see before you are the remains of three eldest daughters of three of the five. I could not get the other two because they are currently hiding in the mountains. Changelings on guard are difficult to fool when you try to use their own abilities against them. The counter spells they keep refreshing against infiltration are quite effective."

"Do not kill them," Flamespyre commanded tersely.

"What?" Draccaria blinked.

"I don't care what they did to your brother."

"Father!" she protested, sitting up.

"Hand them over to the mob, instead. Let changelings deal with changelings. What you did two years ago stretched the latitude I gave you in subverting the Emerald Kingdom. Just because Silent Wing happened to be under your nose did not mean you were to play the part of the vengeful sister. From what I understand, it's because of what you did he developed this fear of mares." Flamespyre spoke as if giving a lecture.

"He's afraid of losing another love and going berserk like that again," she said, almost ashamed of the aftermath after what she did. Almost.

"What a cruel thing to do to him," Dreadsong sniped, giggling. "Yet he's still managed to find love again. I think it's lovely." She assumed a dreamy expression.

"He'll probably be dead before he can do something about it," Apex snorted. "You might have stripped him down a bit much this time, Father." He turned to Flamespyre, tilting his head to one side. "I know why you split him in half, but he's so little and frail and...squishy now."

"We'll see," Flamespye said mysteriously.

"You're up to something, Father," Draccaria said with a tone of alarm.

"Yes. I am up to something. I am always up to something. There is always something to be up about." Flamespyre flicked his tail, his ears swiveling for a moment. "As for your little personal thing with a few matriarchs, you may speak to them. You may even torture them a little bit. But hand them over to the other changelings. If you're going to run this kingdom as you seem intent on, then give the masses something to love you about."

As they spoke, the other transformed dragons teleported from the room to resume their assigned duties. They gave their farewells to each other neutrally, though a couple of exchanges might have passed for genuine sibling affection. Glowing horns signaled the spell casting and within seconds of each other were gone, leaving Flamespyre and Draccaria alone with Phillip.

"Are we done holding court this afternoon, my Queen?" he asked her in his feeble voice. "I can see to it you are not disturbed if you wish a moment to yourself and this griffon." Squinting at Flamespyre, he wondered why this one had a red glowing eye. Griffons don't have red glowing eyes. "Most curious."

"Stay a bit longer, Phillip," she bade him warmly, reaching out with a hoof and lightly touching him on the shoulder. "We are almost done."

"What of your other guests? They seem to have fallen asleep." He indicated the three bodies at the foot of the throne. "I do believe that is Ursika from House Arachnidae. Such a disagreeable mare. Very rude."

"They're fine. Let them sleep a bit longer. Their families will be coming to retrieve them. No need to worry ourselves over things beneath us."

He beamed at her. "Quite right. Quite right. Would you and your guest like refreshments while you wait for the matriarchs to come and retrieve their family members?"

Draccaria nodded. "Why not? Send for one of the servants to do it."

"Yes, your Majesty."

Another changeling arrived from one of the side doors bearing a note on a silver tray elevated by her magic. She knelt before Draccaria and offered it within easy reach by hoof if the sitting dragon chose to do that. Taking the note and nodding the servant off, Draccaria read it. She smiled.

"Good. They are here."

"The matriarchs?" asked Flamespyre, amused.

She smiled at him wryly. "Indeed."

Refreshments were brought. Flamespyre sat next to his daughter opposite from Phillip and assumed a changeling form, nondescript and rather plain. He did not want to take from his daughter this moment she was savoring. Besides, this might be fun to see her deal with the mares and ultimately seal their fates.

"Send them in," she announced to Phillip. He nodded and walked slowly, stiffly, and painfully towards the doors.

"End him already," grunted Flamespyre in exasperation. "Put your pet down already. Look at him!"

"It's his last day, Father," she reassured him. "I want him to see the fruits of his labor before the last moments of his life pass before him. Even the way he is."

"As you wish."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Shattered Skies**

"Observation deck to bridge. Observation deck to bridge. Captain, one of the patrols reports smoke on the horizon south by southwest," came a tinny voice through the speaking tubes and drifting into the bridge. "Possible steamship accompanied by unknown flyers. Range: Twenty thousand yards."

It was dawn. The _Aurora_ crawled along at twenty miles per hour into a headwind after an eventful night and a light rain squall for a better part of three hours during early morning hours. The last of the clouds had passed behind the great airship as she flew a few hundred feet above the surface of the ocean. The map tantalized those on board with an unknown shore just one more day away.

"Eleven miles. A bit close for comfort. Too close. Perfect," muttered Gilda, adjusting her cap. Sitting in her chair, she sipped a fresh cup of freshly brewed coffee and eyed the large ship's compass. "Sound general quarters. Initiate the cloaking field. Wake the horny ponies who work it and get them to it." She might as well have been reading line scores from the sports page out loud. The griffon's golden eyes flickered with smoldering anticipation of battle. "Get two flights up in the air while we're at it."

Several voices responded to her orders, the shuffling and knocking of talons and hooves clattering the aluminum floor.

She continued to sip her coffee, draining its contents before sliding from her seat. "Mr. Flick, you have the conn. I'm going topside to see if I can't get a look at our new friend."

"Yes, captain!" he replied, already holding out binoculars out for her as she rushed past him. "Be careful," he added, throwing her a snap of his beak and a grin.

"Yeah, yeah, don't crash the ship while I'm gone." She went up the elevator to the observation platform. The ship's alarm blared down every corridor and in every room, red lights rotating and flashing down every hall. Ponies and griffons and a changeling or two shouted at each other. There was no panic, just a little confusion as the drills were put to practice.

The shipwide communication system crackled to life. A monotone voice called out, "Attention to all personnel. Attention to all personnel. This ship will be engaging its cloaking field. Please close all windows. This is not a drill. Attention to all personnel. This ship will be engaging its cloaking field. Close all windows. I repeat, close all windows."

Captain Gilda was greeted with nods as she appeared on the observation deck, the platform opening above her. The small railings around the elevator swung open to one side and she stepped through. Her first insinct was to check for cloud cover. Glancing aft, she noted the storm from last night in the opposite direction she needed to go. The towering thunderheads told her the squall was probably not as gentle as it had been. They were drifting west by northwest, building up steam. There was a good chance a tropical storm might develope. The trade winds suggested they might drift west a bit more before turning north the closer they came to the continent. It was already swealtering. Their course had taken them towards the tropics. She grimaced, the griffon not really keen on backtracking. She accosted a crewman going down, telling him to instruct Flick to turn the ship around.

There were no other clouds in the area.

One of the first things she noted were the changelings. They had been on patrol all night and they had landed, waiting for orders. They appeared worn, having also been the ones responsible for spotting the ship. Right now their relief was already out. Each one wore expressions of excitement. The griffon had been that age once.

Gilda knew they knew she didn't really care for them, but Frakas came up to her, snapped to attention and said, "Captain, if you would be so kind as to give us pre-emptive orders to pass on to the prince when he joins us."

He was dressed in his leather flying gear, goggles resting on top of his head and just over his eyes. His fellow changelings were dressed in the same fashion. Despite flying all night, they were excited and eager. They were also willing to get back out there and do what they could to make up for the loss of face three of their number no longer with the ship had done. These were changelings determined to restore the image they wanted to craft.

Well, she had to admit he was very professional for a bug. She thrust a talon skyward. "Top cover. Let the pegasus handle the scoutin'. Who spotted the ship?" Gilda asked the changeling colt.

"Myerzin and Aelix, Team Two, Bravo Squad," he replied crisply. Frakas made up the team and bravo part, but Gilda never seemed to care what he called his boys. He imagined he could have called them the Cutie Mark Crusaders and she would not have given a buck.

She nodded. "Tell 'em good job. Get them for me. I want them to point it out." She called out to the changelings in question, "Hey, follow me, you two. Where's the ship? Point it out to me." Spreading her wings and not waiting for Frakas, she took off as the _Aurora_ flickered and faded around her until only the long and narrow observation deck could be seen.

Unicorns were already filing out along the observation deck, the second half of the team who would be maintaining the cloaking shield. It served two purposes; to blend the ship into the sky and to protect it from exterior assaults to a certain extent. There were nine of them and they fanned out along the edge of the observation deck. An equal number of Unicorns were arranged on the bottom most deck, opening windows designed specifically for the purpose of extending the shield. They were the only ones allowed open while the _Aurora_ was cloaked.

Her cloaking magic had been activated.

Wordlessly the changelings in question followed, finding it very difficult to keep after the powerful griffon. Gilda was still a very fast flyer. She hovered, waiting for them as her sharp eyes scanned the direction called out to her from the two smaller dark forms joining her. Both had their hooves pointed where the sky met the ocean. She could make out a funnel of black and gray and white smoke slowly drifting beneath the metallic charcoal gray hull of a ship with a tall superstructure and a narrow profile. She was coming nose-on.

"Perfect," she muttered for the second time, again adjusting her cap. "I was having a good cup of coffee." Lifting her binoculars to her eyes, she scanned the skies around the ship first. There were a lot of black dots on the horizon. The ship itself was some sort of warship. Gilda could not make out the make of the ship nor her origin. Size was impossible to determine as well, not at a range of more than ten miles. "Just damn perfect."

Four pairs of Pegasi shot past them and at an upwards angle, Blazing Cruise being among them. They would fly as high as they could and try and get a bird's eye view over the canopy of the approaching ship. None wore heavy metal armor, opting with soft leather more to keep them warm at high altitudes. Each of the flying ponies wore flight goggles and bore a leather helmet.

"Stay safe, you nitwits," Captain Gilda called out to them. Cruise waved at her once and sped off into the blue, his group in a loose 'V' formation.

Luna approached, along with Silent Wing. Rainbow Dash was also with them as well as her colt, Lightning Dash. Just beneath Silent hovered his changelings. They waited eagerly, watching their prince emerge, still trying to fit on his own leather helmet. Goggles dangled from the wrist just behind his left hoof, part of it tucked into one of the holes in his leg.

"What is this I hear about a ship?" Luna asked sharply.

Gilda pointed to the horizon, holding her field glasses to the Alicorn. "Just look for the smoke. You shouldn't have a hard time seeing it, Princess Luna."

Luna nodded and accepted them with a polite smile, staring through them at the area indicated to her. She hovered, wings beating in rhythm and the binoculars up to her eyes, squinting through them, then closing one eye, then the other. She had never used a pair before and found it fascinating. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, she reluctantly lowered them from her eyes and ignored the captain's amused grin.

"I would wager that is not a friendly ship approaching," she said, returning the field glasses to Gilda. "It would appear we have a battle before us, unless the augmenter has been miraculously repaired."

Gilda shook her head and grimaced. "Don't I wish, princess. We're barely able to get enough speed as it is and I think that ship out there can run us down. On top of that, they've got flyers. I'd love to assume they did not see us, but if we could make them out from here, then I'll bet my tail they've seen us." She peered up at the sky, wishing the cloud cover was better.

"Turning the ship back to the storm?" Silent Wing asked, watching the great airship begin a slow one hundred and eighty degree turn, turning to starboard and away from the approaching ship.

"I ain't takin' the cloakin' magic for granted it's gonna do the job. I'd rather be safe than sorry. I really don't think we have the numbers to do anything more than defend. Captain Cruise will get us an estimate of what we're up against." She was already making other calculations in her head, her eyes darting back and forth, always focusing back on the approaching ship. "Let's get back to the ship. Silent, get your boys up and watch for patrols."

Silent nodded, clapping his goggles on. Unleashing a shrill whistle, he made a circling motion near his head with his hoof. Eight dark forms shot into the air, buzzing past with droning wings seemingly eager for a fight.

"Prince Silent!" Luna called out. "Please be careful!"

He grinned, adjusting his helmet. "I will."

Luna said something else he could not hear as he pulled away to join his changelings. Rainbow Dash heard it. She might have been mistaken, but she could have sworn she heard the princess say, "Please come back to me."

"Yo, Dash!" Gilda called out to her old friend. "Can you head over to the clouds and check to make sure nothin' bad is waitin' there for us?"

"Yeah! Sure." Dash nodded to the griffon and grabbed her son's attention by flicking him in the face with her tail. "Come on, kiddo. We've got work to do. Try and keep up!"

He had heard Luna's words as well and was staring after the Alicorn princess as she continued to watch the approaching ship with silent determination. There was no fear on her face. If anything, she was just as eager for a fight as any pony around. Hearing his mother's voice, he turned and followed her rainbow trail. Old enough to be interested in mares, he found he envied Silent Wing and even felt a pang of jealousy.

The way Luna looked at Silent Wing wasn't really much different than the way Applejack looked at her husband. Well, he mulled it over in his head as he found himself locked in comparison, maybe not exactly like that. As he pursued Rainbow Dash, the colt thought the look on the princess' face bore hope and worry and even, just maybe some determination. Did Silent Wing feel the same way about her?

"Hey, mom!" he called out to Rainbow. "I have to ask you something." The wind tore past his face. Lightning didn't really mind it. This was sometimes the best part of flying, the sensation of freedom by just feeling the air rush by. No, he didn't mind it at all. The colt loved flying and wanted to be as good as his mom at it.

She peered over her shoulder, slowing enough for him to pull even with her. "What's on your mind?"

He felt it out with a query to make sure he was asking the right kind of question. "Luna likes Silent, right?"

Mom gave him a funny look, crinkling her nose at him and smirking. "That's Princess Luna to you, Light. Remember that," she said sternly. Dash was not looking serious about it. "Is that your question?"

"No, it's kind of leading up to it though." He flushed, not really in his comfort zone, but his curiosity was getting the better of it. Besides, Silent had become a pretty cool friend. There were times he seemed a bit too serious, but he almost always had a grin and seemed to want to be everywhere on the ship.

The two had even flown together, especially the past three weeks as Silent got him more and more interested in griffon-do jujistu. It was even fun the way the prince taught it. Lightning was not exactly going around breaking boards or anything. He discovered the art was more about being able to move like water, taking the path of least resistance. Naturally the boys got around to the subject of girls. He knew Silent liked girls, but would get oddly quiet and not answer, but there would be that little shy smile when Luna's name was mentioned. Not exactly sure, he decided to ask a higher authority.

She peered ahead at the looming clouds. They seemed dark an ominous, rising like a great anvil before them. Yeah, Rainbow knew that was one nasty storm brewing ahead of her. Gilda would be stupid to send the ship into that. The chromatic maned mare was definitely going to advise not going in there. Still, she needed to check. Maybe there was a pocket or some offshoot clouds away from the main storm they could use. She considered the distance to go.

There was time to humor him. "Shoot," she called, already wondering if she knew the question.

"Does Silent like Lu-, I mean Princess Luna?"

There it was. Rainbow Dash laughed despite herself. Throwing him a knowing grin, she asked him, "Well, what do you think?"

"I think he'd do anything for her," he said, not wanting to get sappy or anything like that.

"Can't you even answer your own question?" Rainbow was laughing again, incredulous, shaking her head.

Dark forms darted in front of them. The pair split, Rainbow uttering an oath and Lighting yelping as their agility coupled with their instincts saved them from a pair of ruddy colored creatures appearing like pony sized dragons with batlike wings and wicked talons. Their tails were curled like a scorpion's, each one bearing a barbed tip. They shrieked, a high pitched sound that shivered the bones, their cruel black eyes blinking, rolling a third clear membrane as they turned beneath the ponies, glaring up at them.

"What the buck are those?" Rainbow Dash asked herself. Where was Lightning? She glanced over to where he was. He was hovering, wondering her thoughts, staring with wide eyes and a heaving chest. Her own heart thudded like the pounding hooves of a thousand ponies on a cobblestone street.

"Mom!" Lighting called out to her, scared out of his wits.

"Back to the ship!" she yelled at him, darting over and giving him a hard shove. "Go, Light, go!" She had to urge him from his frozen position, biting an ear and tugging hard to get him moving with a startled yelp.

Mother and son started towards the hidden Aurora, angling upward for altitude and towards Silent Wing and his changelings. Behind them shrieked and hissed the flying lizards, giving chase. They snarled, spat and were really noisy. The two ponies pulled away as fast as their feathered wings could carry them, leaving a few feathers to drift in the wind. A backwards glance by Rainbow showed the beasts in hot pursuit, eyes horribly wide with dreadful intent and jaws slightly agape, showing fangs glistening in the morning light. They screamed at them, pumping their leathery wings furiously.

They were beginning to close the gap.

"No way!" Rainbow snarled. "Pick it up, kid! Don't let a couple of dumb lizards outfly us!"

"Mom!"

"Just fly, Lighting! Fly as hard and as fast as you can!" She dared to look over her shoulder. Her son was lagging, nowhere near as fast as his mother. Rainbow Dash slowed, throwing him an encouraging smile. "I'm not leaving you, just keep flying and don't look back!"

She looked back and saw the two flying lizards looming every closer.

"Mom! My wings are cramping up!" he cried out, desperation on his face. The onset of panic was beginning to set in.

"Come on, baby, stay with mom!" she called out, drifting beneath him and coming up under his belly. She tried to gamely add her strength to her own, but it only served to slow them both down. _Where the buck are you, Silent Wing?_

They came closer and closer, the scaly flying lizards, their smooth heads snapping eagerly as their prey was slowly coming within reach. Savoring the meal to come, they even snapped at each other, neither wanting the other to get the first kill.

Nine forms darted down, two crashing into their backs. Eight were dark, the same size as Rainbow Dash. The other was slightly smaller, his morning yellow fur touched with the color of a fog enshrouded bay. The color of red flared from beneath a helmet, its owner roaring an open challenge. Crashing headfirst into his target, Silent Wing completely surprised his target, it having been son intent on closing in on the two Pegasi. Frakas took the other creature while the other seven changelings formed a ring around Rainbow and Lightning Dash.

Silent Wing and Frakas broke from their larger opponents, falling back to assess their enemy and to buy the mare and her colt precious time to get away. "Get to the ship!" he snapped, baring his fangs at the flying lizard snarling at him. For a few seconds the two locked eyes, gold to black, snarling at each other in open aggression; one out of frustration from his meal and the other in determination nothing was going to go past him.

"Lightning, go back," Rainbow told her son sternly. The tone in her voice left no room for the colt to object. "Please, just be safe and go. I'll be there in a minute. Go find Applejack and see how you can help her." They were in the middle of a changeling escort.

"Fly the world, meet new faces," complained Frakas to his opponent. "Why couldn't you just be the mare of my dreams instead of..whatever the hay you are." He, along with all the other changelings sported his griffon claws. They snapped in and out of their sheaths with metallic twangs. Though he wore a smile, his eyes were narrow and watchful. "Yo, boss, ya think that stinger is just decoration on them?"

"Only one way to find out," replied his friend with a tight grin. "What did you make of their speed while they were coming in?"

"Formidable. Takes them a minute to build up, though."

Both changelings were backing away from the creatures who seemed confused by the newcomers. They were not happy at being out numbered. Both let out high pitched shrieks.

"That can't be good," Frakas noted dryly.

"Really? What was your first clue?" Silent Wing reversed course and surged forward on the attack. Frakas rolled his eyes and did the same.

The lizards were quick and fast, but they lacked agility. They were also not very well armored. Silent Wing went in with a surge of adrenaline, slashing at the snapping head with his claws and was rewarded with metal on bone and a shriek of pain. The creature shied away, having not anticipated its prey to fight back with. The prince struck again, slashing as he passed under the lizard repeatedly, following it, waiting for the tail to curl up and dart at him. When it did, as he thought it would, he simply cut it off when it was extended as far as it would go. The thing's instinct's were used against it, leaving the colt to wonder if he had expected too much from the creature. It shrieked again, tried to pull away, to flee. Silent Wing let it go, turned to see Frakas was having similar success with his opponent. His was trying to keep its insides from falling out, having darted in and out repeatedly, gauging the speed of the tail and easily avoiding the slashing talons. It could only curl over the back, not underneath, he discovered from observing the physical makeup. The creature fell away towards the ocean below, its body shuddering from loss of blood and its injuries.

"That wasn't so bad," Silent told Frakas with a grin.

Frakas grinned as the two high hoofed and made their way back to the _Aurora_. "I wonder how the others are doing."

* * *

Blazing Cruise found himself in the middle of a swarm of tan colored changelings, darting in at his group from all different angles. They had flown higher, the two groups sighting each other and nearly the same time. The changelings outnumbered the Pegasi two to one, one of them blaring on a horn. More creatures were approaching, bigger with big leathery wings. Scorpion tails twitched expectantly in their wake and smooth heads filled with wicked teeth snarled at the ponies.

They split, sticking to their pairs, not in a position to mount any form of assault. Soon they were engulfed in a massive confusing swarm of feathers and insectoid wings, shouts and oaths out into the clear blue skies. Two of his flyers were overwhelmed, turning right into four of the flying lizards, who caught them and immediately employed their wicked stingers. The feebly struggling ponies screamed in agony as fangs and claws tore into them while the poison worked through their bloodstream, slowly paralyzing them with painful spasms. Two bodies spiraled to the shimmering surface of the ocean below.

The ship was still five miles away, but it was a little more defined. Cannon bristled on its decks, sticking from round turrents. She wasn't as big as the airship, but she was big enough and far more intimidating than the _Aurora_. More changelings were emerging from it, taking wing along with more of the larger creatures.

Cruise cursed loudly, angrily, mostly at himself. Where did those things come from? "Fall back!" he bellowed. They were sitting ducks out here in the open. But they were surrounded. It was as though they expected them to investigate.

They had arrived at a very high altitude, supposedly too high up to be seen, but somehow a string of changelings flying wing to wing spotted them just a thousand feet below. Beneath them another five hundred feet was another similar string. The jig was up, the small flight of ponies were spotted and quickly set upon.

Blazing Cruise cursed again, turning on a wingtip, snapping his muzzled this way and that to get a feel for where everything was. Trusting his instincts and the ability of his wingman to keep close, he dove, heading towards the _Aurora_. He and other Pegasi had a weight advantage over changelings, so diving at a sharp angle was their best chance of escape.

"Go ocean! Go ocean!" he cried to the others. They echoed the command, stopped whatever they were doing, and pressed for the green-blue waters fifteen thousand feet below them. The six remaining ponies darted past their pursuers with grim determination. Fear and adreneline urged them on as they headed for the ship. Three dozen changelings and their large flying lizard companions gave chase.

Then the shadowy form of gray and blue scale roared past. "Run them down!" it roared, massive wings carrying it with terrifying speed towards the airship. Tantibus had his target in mind and sought her out deliberately, savoring the battle with her in wicked anticipation.

* * *

Luna saw him coming and was not about to wait patiently. Ponies needed her help and badly. Though it was day, she was still formidable, though she would be unable to call upon the power nightfall gave her. The night time was her time, not the day, not beneath the Glory of Celestia. Still, she had seen the dragon appear miles away, teleporting in form and creating a great billowing cloud of broiling blue smoke. Tattered wings snapped open and even from the distance between them, the Princess of the Night could feel him seeking her out through her magic.

She went forward as if to meet him, gathering her magic and preparing her first spell. She could already see Blazing Cruise and his ponies were in serious trouble, already down by two. Not having the time to see where the missing were, she noted the incoming dragon, his speed, and her own position relative to the ponies trying to escape. She already had a second spell in mind, released her first spell.

Luna teleported, reappearing a blink later in the path Cruise was following, patiently waving the diving Pegasi past her, indigo magic filling her horn as she gathered herself to swat away the pursuers. Above her and behind her, the dragon was now realizing what she was doing.

Tantibus decided to continue on towards the airship, stoking his inner fire. The self-styled Night Dragon also preferred the darkness, but the enemy was exposed, outnumbered, and completely vulnerable. Speaking of vulnerable, the dragon cast his golden eyes upon where he suspected the ship was and felt for the magic enveloping it. Something shimmered in front of him, low and to the right. He grinned, starting forward again with a snarl.

Luna unleashed her magic spell, streaks of magic bolts spraying out in a wide cone, shredding wings and skin and flesh. She was not merciful, having felt the full intent of those who were chasing her ponies, her charges. Luna was already upset at knowing two were already gone, their bodies consigned to the vast expanse of the ocean. So, she indeed was not and knew she could not afford to be merciful. This was war. As much as she loved a good fight, she absolutely loathed killing. Most of it had to do with what she remembered doing when she was Nightmare Moon so long ago. At least this time, she was not killing ponies.

Shattered bodies fell away behind cries of pain and agony. The flying lizards shrieked and died, tattered wings on some flailing uselessly in the air. Luna was already gathering up her magic for another teleportation spell. Her power might not have been at its fullest because of the day, but she had enormous reserves to call upon.

Now, where had that dragon gone off to? Her eyes darted about, seeking, her head turning towards the direction of...

There! Going straight for the _Aurora_. A small group of defenders were moving towards him. She already knew it could only be one group. Fear gripped her heart. Silent Wing could not hope to match against the dragon. Even as he moved in to attack, his changelings advancing from both flanks, the dragon bathed the Aurora in flame, hovering on wingbeats, tail curling back and forth to maintain balance as the Tantibus clung to the air. Ignoring dark changelings now crawling over his body and stabbing at his thick scales and hide, he raked the ship from stern to stem. The Aurora lurched, her magic absorbing the flame and the Unicorns on board trying to maintain a protective shield.

Luna blinked again, already forming another offensive spell to unleash as soon as it was ready. She relied on quick spells, needing them at that moment for rapid use, to change from one target to the next or to unleash in rapid succession magical bolts.

* * *

Tantibus flinched as Silent Wing landed on his snout, griffon claws slashing near the eyes enough to force the dragon to pay attention to him. Shaking his nead violently, the dragon roared angrily at his little brother. "You're not worth my time!" he snarled at Silent.

"I'll make myself worth your time!" taunted the colt fearlessly. He fell away as the dragon brought a talon up to swat at him, his body leaning back as he fell away, agile maneuvering pulling him effortlessly around flailing claws and the swatting tail trying to knock him out of the sky.

Snapping his wings out, he pulled up behind the dragon as his strokes pulled him up and up and up until he was even with the dragon's shoulderblades. His changelings were having little effect with their weapons and fell off of his back before the dragon decided to start focusing on them. They instead buzzed around his head to annoy and harrass the beast.

"Go away, you little pests!" he snarled at them. Tantibus unleashed his own magic, flaring a pulse of bright light from his body and blinding all those around him.

Blinded changelings cried out in shock as their eyes only registered white spots, cringing away from Tantibus.

* * *

Gilda could feel the heat of the dragon flame as it washed over the Aurora, pulling hard on the wheel to turn the ship away from the dragon. "Are those catapults loaded?" she demanded to her weapons officer.

"Manned and ready, captain," came the reply in a slightly cracking voice.

"Drop the cloak and open the cataports!" she snapped. "Give me flank speed on the engines, maximum output. I'm taking us towards land." Gilda adjusted her hat.

"Flank speed, aye!" The world flashed.

Thankfully, nopony on the bridge could see the dragon's body go brighter than the sun. The observation deck was a completely different story. Rainbow Dash, Applejack, and some of the crew preparing to fire crossbows at the dragon were exposed. The magic barrier had defended them from most of the heat, but there had also been a good deal of singed fur and hair in the aftermath. Most of the blinded included the Unicorns. Trying to hold the magic barrier against the dragon flame had drained most of them from the effort. It was powerful!

Spike and the others not contributing to the fight were below, feeling useless. Most were told to be ready to aid in the infirmiry.

"No flying lizard spits fire at my ship and thinks he can get away with it!" She spun her head again to the weaopns officer. "If the gun crews miss at point blank range, I swear I will start skinning ponies and griffons alive!"

"Cloaking magic is down. Cataports are opening!"

"Fire once target is in sight." She was practically shrieking now, not from fear, but in anticipation for the retaliation. In a much quieter tone, she turned to Flick, "Stand by to abandon ship."

The _Aurora_ flickered, became whole and no longer was a part of the sky. As she did so, six ports on her starboard side opened, revealing massive catapults designed for launching giant bolts. Sharpened edges gleamed menacingly as the ship turned as hard as she was able, like a pregnant whale in shallow water. By now the dragon was occupied with Luna, three fewer changelings able to battle him. They followed the Alicorn's lead, firing bolts at a target too big to miss even though colored spots still danced in their vision. Silent Wing, as he could not use magic, simply darted in and out and around the dragon's head, relying on his nose and his ears while his eyes recovered. It had been less than fifteen seconds, but he already heard and felt the loss of three of his own.

He was angry, slashing with his claws with every pass, focusing on one spot at the tip of the dragon's nose. Rivets of blood gushed from the deep slashes in one of the few vulnerable spots on the dragon.

Then the catapults fired twelve foot long and three inch thick bolts with tempered steel heads six inches across. Designed for ship-to-ship action between airships, they required a lot of torque for medium range and accurate firing. At a range of less than twenty five yards, they skewered the dragon.

_THWAAAP!_

_THWAAAP!_

_THWAAAP!_

Tantibus screamed in agony, pulling away with three shafts in him, one having gone all the way through his neck just above the collar. Another jutted from his chest just below his left breast. The third had pierced his belly. He raged, thrashed, spat flame as he began to fall, in denial of what was happening.

"No!"

The changelings continued to fire at him with their magic, swarming, swarming, staying behind him as he continued to flame away at the sky, his flames licking at the _Aurora_.

"NO!" the dragon shrieked again, a piercing call of endless wracking pain.

Luna tried to shield the ship as best as she could, but the hull was blackened and smoldered. The airship lurched like a drunken elephant as one of her engines blew up from overheating, the coolant pump having been melted away. Black smoke billowed, but otherwise the ship remained intact.

_"FATHER!" _The dying dragon feebly tried to stay aloft, the ocean already shades of billowing and spreading crimson with his falling blood. In a final surge of life and pain, he glared one final time at Luna, the only opponent he felt had been worthy, then at his brother, the little weak thing that refused to bow to his elder brother. If he was to die, then they would come with him. Gathering his magic within, he built it up, concentrating it.

Luna realized what he was doing. Just then, Blazing Cruise and his Pegasi managed to make it back to the ship. "Get away!" she cried, her eyes wide as she spun upon them. "GET AWAY FROM THE DRAGON, MY LITTLE PONIES! FLY AWAY AS FAR AS YOU CAN! FLY YOU FOALS!" Princess Luna screamed in her Canterlot Voice, gathering within her the magic she hoped was enough to deflect the coming blast.

"Luna!" Silent Wing went to her. Something told him not to leave her side, no matter what. Was it his instinct? Was it something else? "I'm not leaving you!"

She wanted to push him away, throw him to safety. But there was no time. She nodded once at him. "Stay close then," she bade. "Behind me."

Together they heard Tantibus begin to laugh, a sickening gurgling cackle. The air around him began to charge. Luna and Silent felt their hair begin to stand up on end. Static electricity was building as both the Alicorn and the dragon gathered their magic, both desperate and both putting their all into their power. The very air, the humidity, and even a draining sensation of energy being sapped from every living thing within ten miles was drawn towards the falling dragon, now nearing the surface of the water. It created a displacement of water beneath his form, going deeper and deeper, drawing even the water itself towards the dragon. He was tapping into anything magical around him, drawing it to himself.

"I will use my magic to shield the ship," she said to him, glad to have him, even happy to have him with her. Luna was not sure what would happen next. But with what she could feel building below her, it was something she was not sure she could stop it. Slowing it down was also a question mark. Yet, she was not afraid. Silent Wing was with her, staring at the dying dragon, his gaze flickering along the details of the dying dragon, as if thinking of something.

A wild thought occurred to Silent Wing. Desperately, he shot down in a dive towards the dragon, saying loudly, inaudibly as the world around him shrieked, coming from the dying monster, his wings curling towards the sky as the last vestige of life flickered in its waning moments. Luna called out to him, gave chase, screaming at him.

Tantibus spoke one final word, a dreadful, hiss. It was deep, resonating, shaking the very foundations of the soul in cold reality, fully understanding the implications. "Die."

At the last possible moment, Silent spun around, throwing his wings and legs wide to Luna, enfolding her in a fierce and protective hug with his hooves, not letting go as he whispered two words in her ear, just before the moment of clarity, the judgement. The dragon exploded, unleashing an ever expanding blast of unleashed and unfettered magic, utterly lacking in control and wildly lashing at the air, the wind, the water, the currents, the magical energies a part of the planet itself. It was a tiny sun before them, hot and cold, painful and wonderful, absolute and utter destruction, shattering, crushing, obliterating. Everything went white.

* * *

Halfway around the world, Princess Celestia and Queen Chrysalis felt a powerful surge of wild, unleashed magic, the likes of which they had never felt before. They were watching the sunset, wondering why they both felt compelled to watch the setting sun. Something felt wrong and they interrupted their work to come to the balcony, Celestia floating on her magic while Chrysalis felt a sudden lump in her throat.

"Luna," Celestia whispered. "What are you doing?"

_Forgive me, my dearest Tia._

Chrysalis watched the expression on the princess' face. She was so confused, not understanding.

A second sun appeared on the horizon, smaller, yet by far brighter as streams of energy spread out across the sky in the highest layers of the planet's atmosphere, like the Northern Lights, but made up pure magical energy. The very air shimmered, like a Rainboom, rippling through the sky in several ominous waves. There was no joy, no sense of wonder as the waves washed high overhead.

"Silent?"

Both matriarchs felt a sudden, crushing feeling in their hearts, as if something had opened a great black hole in the middle of them both. Echoing their silence was the slowly rising, mournful keening wail of Scarheart filled with indescribable loss. His cry tortured the still onset of twilight, so profound in sadness those who heard it felt their own hearts break, their eyes moisten. The emotions of sadness and loss a mindless dragon could express in no other way reached out and touched every soul in Canterlot.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**The Survivors, The Prisoners**

The _Aurora_ lurched, bucked, heaved, rebelled against the blast. Ponies and griffons were tossed about like dice in a cup with the ship, most on the observation deck were hurled over the sides. The ship rolled seventy degrees, nearly capsizing in midair. Anything external jutting from the ship and in the brunt of the blast was sheared away. Luna had deflected most of the energy, but more than enough broke through as she and Silent Wing disappeared in the expanding ball of white light. The fabric covering the ship's frame tore away, either from flames or from the concussive force of the explosion.

Somehow, she stayed aloft, the determined captain at the wheel screaming and cursing at the mother-loving bucking bucket of bolts to not roll, to not burst into flame, to not die and take everypony with her. The Aurora _seemed_ to listen to her mistress, riding out the magic storm. Gilda pleaded, coaxed, and even crooned to the wheel, making promises out loud while continuing to follow up with a string of curses at whatever thing caused damage to her ship under her breath. The alarms blared on, but the airship slowly righted herself until she hovered between a fifteen and ten degree list, the wind rocking her.

She was drifting away from her destination with no mechanical means of propulsion. The battered Aurora even creaked and moaned as her frame was bent and twisted, yet she held together, remained aloft.

But she was indeed a dying ship. Her injuries were fatal and there was no means to repair her. All four engines were gone, only two stabilizer fins remained. This meant steering was rendered pointless. Gaps in her skin revealed the great sacks of hydrogen, the volatile gas keeping the ship aloft, along with the magical enchantments protecting them from inadvertently being ignited. Hydrogen was very dangerous, but was used because it was abundant and easy to acquire. Gilda was worried of a possible spark coming across a leak.

"Damage report," she called out. "Let's see how bad we are." The captain straightened herself as best she could, given the starboard side slope making standing a bit of a challenge. "Get me a casualty list. Get eyes on that ship. She's still out there! We need cover, dammit!"

She was crisp, still in control, and in no mood for foolishness.

"And somepony tell me what the buck just happened out there!"

Gilda noted the crew member taking the wheel from her had a gash over his head. "Get that checked," she said gruffly, pointing at it. "There's no point with the wheel anymore. The Aurora can't navigate." Aloud, she told the bridge, "Everybody check each other for injuries."

Fifteen minutes later, the damage was far worse than she had expected. The speaking tubes brought her nothing but bad news. Not only were the engines gone, but half the life boats were shattered. Engineering was a twisted mass of pipes and struts, shredded wires entangling everything. The chief engineer was dead, impaled by splintered metal. Nor was he the only casualty. More than twenty were dead, another dozen wounded. The ship was losing bouyancy. Worse still was the ship was still closing, but the changelings were holding back. Losing something as powerful as a dragon had made them fearful, wary.

But for how long? Their courage would return once their ship caught up with them.

She was less than two miles away now, having slowed and assuming a parallel course with the Aurora. She was not as long as the airship, but she was a solid construction of iron, it seemed, with nary a sail upon her. Black smoke billowed from four funnels in the center of her superstructure, a pagoda-style bridge towering at the front. Four turrets each bearing a pair of very large long barreled guns were placed two forward, two back. All eight were trained on the _Aurora_, but held her fire. There were several different secondary armaments bristling along the center of the ship, also trained on the dying airship.

"Prepare to abandon ship," Gilda said to Flick. "Where the hay is Princess Luna?" she demanded helplessly. "We're sitting ducks here."

"We're still looking for her, captain," he said quietly. "There is the possibility she did not survive the blast. We've got one changeling left and he says he saw her and Prince Silent Wing get swallowed by the blast. Nopony else saw what happened."

She stared at him in disbelief. "Why am I now being told this?" Gilda demanded, pounding the wall with a taloned fist.

"I'm sorry, captain, but I just now found out. Captain Cruise is down to just himself and one other fighter for air cover. Almost all of the Unicorns who put up the shield are in no condition to fart, much less help defend us. They would not have been able to stop an explosion of that magnitude. It would be reasonable to assume the princess used herself as a sort of shield." Flick sounded tired, worn, beaten.

Gilda sagged against the wall, nodding. "All right. Let's get bodies off this ship. She's as good as done."

"Yes captain, we've got the boats almost ready."

"Load the wounded first, let's try and space them out evenly. Food. Water. Weapons. Anything we'll need to survive." She lifted her beak, sighing heavily and straightening herself. "Get moving, Flick." Neither wanted to add the obvious problem. They would all soon be prisoners. "Just perfect," she added, forcing herself to deal with the next problem in a line of many.

* * *

Frakas was a broken changeling. It was not because he was covered with wounds nor the fact his armor was torn or because his carapace was cracked. Blood was flowing through cuts in his chitin, mostly stemmed by now. Some still trickled. Having settled on the scorched wooden observation deck, he stared with his solid blue eyes at where his friend, his prince had once been. He could not move, as if expecting Silent Wing to appear next to him and tell him everything was all right and it was time to move on with the adventure, that this was just a little setback and that everything would be all right. His mind could not fathom Silent Wing being gone. All of his brothers were gone, his prince was gone. He had seen Silent Wing embrace Luna at that last moment before... before...

"Like a hero," he spat, fighting the tears. All the others were gone, taken by the blast. The last one died in his hooves, asking Frakas if there was love in the afterlife before the light went out forever in his eyes. At least in the end he got his girl. "Like a bucking hero," he repeated, shaking his head, "but he was supposed to win."

Blazing Cruise saw him, his own body covered with bumps and bruises, a few cuts here and there, having been on the far side of the ship relative to the explosion. He limped, one of his hind legs either broken or tweaked, he was not sure.

"We're not done yet," he said to Frakas, tapping him on the shoulder. "We've got to get ready to abandon ship. Help me set the charges on the ship. We're rigging the _Aurora_ to be scuppered. Gilda's orders. Can't let the enemy have her. After that, we're probably going to get captured, so I'll need you to do what you changelings do best."

Frakas turned his heads towards him, ears laid back flat. "What more do you want from our kind?" he demanded, staggering to his feed. Soot smeared his body to go with the superficial cuts and bruises along his lean little frame. "My prince is dead and I am lost without my prince. He was my friend. I lose my brother, now I lose my friend and the only changeling I would ever follow without question into battle."

Cruise settled a hoof on the changeling colt's shoulder. "Look son. I know you're hurt, but we need you free. We need you on the inside. They're not interested in killing us, so you'll have time to heal and recover. Most importantly, I need you gathering intelligence on the enemy. Can you blend in with them? Can you infiltrate their ranks and be my eyes?"

Frakas sighed, thinking. They had just lost the powerful Princess Luna and they were still looking for a way to fight back. This battle was lost, yet they continued to plan the campaign ahead of them, changing like water with the flow of the river. Just as Master Tsang Tzu had preached all those years. Where was that old bird, anyway? There was no way he would fall to these losers. Bringing down the dragon was still fresh in the changeling's memory. Frakas wondered why his master would be nowhere to be seen while the dragon was attacking them. Surely...

Wounded? A great deal of griffons had been badly hurt. Perhaps the teacher... no, that's impossible. Nothing could beat Tsang Tzu!

In a swirl of pain and fading anguish, Frakas straightened himself and nodded to the Pegasus. "All right, I'll do it. Only because Silent Wing would have wanted us to push on. On top of that, we were all fond of Applejack."

A brief smile crossed Blazing Cruise's lips as he turned and started for the elevator. "Yeah, I know. She doesn't know yet. None of them do. Those who saw what happened are limited to just you, me, Rainbow Dash, and Lightning. Let's keep the hope for them alive a bit longer."

"Why?" Frakas spat bitterly. "They'll find out eventually."

"Morale. Come on, kid. Let's go."

* * *

Pain. His world was mindless, endless waves of pain. The magic had surged into him like a vacuum cleaner the moment he held Luna in his hooves, encasing her as best he could with his wings and body, his back to the blast as she heard his voice in his ear the moment before his world exploded around him. He could feel the magic wash over him, wave upon wave, upon unimaginable wave, screaming in pain. Wild magic poured into his body like a vessel, filling him from deep within the chasm he could feel yawning impossibly wide from within. Through his eyes clenched shut against the tide of indiscriminate fury, he could see those eyes from the new dream stare right back at him. Luna heard his words, the dark form in his mind simply smiled at Silent as his insides were on fire. It threatened to consume him, his body giving out beneath the pressure slowly. The darkness within him became more and more aware as more magic coursed in and remained, as if snatched up by an unseen force just now coming to wakefulness.

_Trust me._

He held Luna protectively, with all his being, unaware the miles were passing beneath them as they were tossed with great force. All he knew was she had to live and her magic prevented from breaking, from falling away and dooming the ship and those on board her. Silent Wing did not know if the _Aurora_ was safe, but his words to Luna sang in his mind, in his heart. The thing within him felt his feelings, flickered its attention to his thoughts, his heart, and examined it. Its formless mass fed upon the magic, stirring for the first time since it was torn to pieces so long ago in a war long forgotten by the master who had sought to wield an untamed magic in its own right.

_Trust me._

The two forms were hurled in directions unknown, a ball of wrapped blue and dirty yellow wings enfolded around each other, neither aware of their surroundings. Luna maintained her shield somehow. Surely it would have shattered if Silent Wing had not used his body to absorb some of the magic contained within the heart of the blast in the aftermath of the dragon's death. By all rights, the two of them and all those around the airship should have been reduced to atoms.

The concussive force not borne of magic had torn through the prince's body, rendering him on the brink of death. It had also launched the two winged forms through the sky and towards the northwest, away from the Aurora and towards the unknown. Luna's own magic was nearly spent as she used what she could to keep him stable. She found herself the only one with the strength to maintain hold. Their far-flung bodies were beginning to slow. How long were they thrown? How far?

Flaring her wings, she was able to slowly stop the spin of their two forms and brake, tweaking her feathers this way and that as she adjusted on the fly. She was so exhausted herself from using her magic, she was amazed Silent Wing was able to be healed from it.

Unless he was as full of magic as he was. She had wondered if there was indeed a limit to how much magic he could absorb. She could sense within him more power than any living being should be able to stand. The dark Alicorn feared for his life more than the wild magic he now had within him. Sensing the pain the prince was in, she did what she could to deaden it, her magic only partially effective as the colt's body was still trying to absorb more power. She was able to sense out with her magic his most severe injuries; burst organs and the bleeding from within. It taxed her greatly and she knew she was already too weak, too much to allow her to fly for much longer.

She peered down, drawing Silent close to her chest gently when he groaned in pain. Below her the sea met a vast and Celestia-blasted desert of stones and rocks and sun burnt shrubbery. It seemed to her a landscape in ruin from some sort of catastrophic event long ago. Here and there were craters of various sizes, many of them very large indeed. Angling towards land, she followed along the shoreline, ever angling inland gradually, searching for a place to land she felt was safe enough. She spotted further inland a smallish crater surrounded by palm trees and other greenery. With a weary sense of determination, she brushed her lips on the colt's forehead and glided towards what she hoped was a place to rest. The further in she went, she realized she was losing her magic.

"What is this?" she wondered out loud. Yes, her magic was failing her! Luna found it was also sapping her strength as her magic was also tied into her physical strengths from being an Alicorn. She shifted, letting her natural abilities take control. It made carrying Silent Wing all the more difficult, but she managed.

By the time she reached the palm trees, she understood this was an oasis, a small spring fed by an underground river system deep beneath the desert. The crater was old, worn from maybe hundreds of years of erosion, but the water looked pristine and blue. Finding a soft spot on the ground, Luna landed, settling her charge with great care to the ground. She found a golden eye roll open for a brief moment, stare at her with focus, then wink shut.

She gave him a quick nuzzle and smiled. Next, she set herself about the task of seeing what was available to her. But first, she tilted her head and tried to reach her sister.

Nothing.

The Alicorn frowned, shook her mane and tried again, thinking it might just be from her exhaustion. She had never been without the ability to speak to her sister's mind nor Celestia to hers save for her time banished.

She tried to contact Tia a second time. Perhaps it was mere fatigue or the distance between the sisters, or the roundness of the planet itself. There were numerous factors. Even the magic - what little there was - felt alien.

"Most curious," she noted with worry. "Perhaps I am more exhausted than I at first thought. Very well, I shall rest a bit and try again when I have more strength!" She spoke because her inability to use her magic effectively was making her nervous. "As for young Prince Silent Wing," - her gaze lingered to his battered form - "I know not what I am to do with you."

Her emotions were aflutter, she knew. Luna didn't just want to fall for some colt out of a sense of lust or just an urge to purge her loneliness. She had plenty of stallions who lined up to please her at her whim, but she wanted more than just satisfying her pleasures and desires. Of all those available to her, of those she could have chosen from, she found her heart was set on this one. He wasn't particularly handsome by pony standards, but he was a rugged little colt who refused to give up and attacked without thinking of himself. Silent Wing was small, yet had the determined strength of an Earth pony. He was foalish, yet thoughtful. He went to battle gladly, yet was the first to offer words of calm. He loved his family, though his mother was the fiercest of monarchs to be easily associated among the ranks of rulers to be garnered not one shred of trust what so ever. Yet he trusted Chrysalis completely and loved her as any good son should love and respect any parent.

Silent Wing was an enigma.

Magic was not going to work here, she realized as she was at the water's edge now. Luna tried to pick up a globe or two of water to give the wounded prince, but time and time again her power ebbed away as if something simply snatched it from her grasp at the last possible moment. Her eyes scanned her surroundings. There was thick green grass beneath her feet and growing in abundance in this small place, so food was not going to be a problem. A few inspecting nibbles at the shrubbery revealed they were edible, if a bit bitter. The grass was plain save for a sweet aftertaste towards the stems. The pond itself was not large; two bounds could carry the Alicorn over its round expanse. The water was cool and sweet, but there was nothing which she could bring it to Silent.

Unless.

She almost blushed, but set herself to filling her mouth with water. Turning, she approached Silent and gently nudged him with her snout, turning his mouth to face hers. Slowly she allowed a trickle of water to pass from her lips into his. His reaction was positive as his own mouth opened a little, his tongue greedily searching out the reviving coolness. Luna found she had to use a hoof to steady his head, to keep him facing her. She took her time, making sure none of the precious water was wasted. With restraint, she reluctantly pulled away from him when there was no more to give, but she did caress his cheek before setting him to rest.

She also found it odd the magic within him was not disappearing like her own. How odd! Could she possibly tap into it should the need arise? Her thoughts shifted to the airship and the others. She had no idea where they were nor if anypony had survived. They had to have, she believed as she and the prince had been squarely between the blast and the _Aurora_.

"May the Creator watch over them," she whispered into the blue sky. It was still morning. In any case, she was not going anywhere with Silent Wing in the state he was in. She knew not this land nor its dangers. Surely there had to be a few to consider to say the least. There were plenty of fully capable ponies on the ship. All were adaptable and each one had each other to depend upon. If she left, Luna knew the colt would have no one to watch over him.

She could only hope the others would be seen to safety. Luna was worried almost to the point of being sick, but she had to have faith in them. There was also reason to believe Celestia would come, driven by the urge as to why she could no longer feel her sister. Perhaps she even thought she was dead.

Tia might be in tears right now.

"Horseapples!" Luna blurted, using a term she had heard Applejack use many times before. She never meant for her sister to cry! Surely Tia was an emotional wreck, not knowing if her little Lulu was alive and well, if she had perished.

Closing her eyes, she suddenly realized how weary she was, how worn she felt, how weak. Shade was plentiful here, she surmised, casting her gaze to the light canopy from the trees. It was enough the sun was broken by the shadows of moving leaves and branches in the morning breeze. It was already proving the day would be hot and dry. With nothing better to do, Luna prescribed herself rest and went over towards Silent Wing. He was on his side where she had left him, asleep. She noted a wing out of place and used her mouth to set it correctly, properly, as it should be. Her eyes lingered to the changeling legs of the prince presented before her. Thoughts lingered as did her gaze to the one who claimed to have sired this colt who had probably just saved not only her life, but the lives of others whom she held dearly.

She found herself smiling in memory of Chrysalis rising to defend her colt's honor. Truly she had indeed rose to protect a child she considered as her own flesh and blood. Those legs reminded her of that night, the exhilarating feel of being in combat. That had been one-on-one, honorable, and with rules.

Luna frowned. Those light brown changelings were not honorable. Their little flying lizard minions were certainly not honorable, little more than trained pets. Then there was the now-dead dragon. She was growing so tired of dragons! Flamespyre takes Twilight Sparkle, her son, and the Princess Atalanta. Scarheart terrorizes Canterlot. Draccaria upends the stability of the Emerald Kingdom and reduces it to a state of civil war. Now this one. She did not know this dragon. But it was certainly a Battlesinger, as Tia had informed her.

"One less to worry about," she conceded wearily. "But what if the others are this...explosive?" Her voice carried over the water as she settled down in her selected spot. The grass felt nice beneath her as her legs folded beneath her body.

Oh, she was tired! Up all night only to fall under attack, battling a very powerful foe. If it were but so simple to lay down and seek sleep. It would not come to her easily, she knew. Too many things had happened. Her body was still tensed for action. Her mind still raced and she still worried for the badly wounded prince laying in front of her. Was he dying? Was he going to die before her eyes?

In a sense, his father had taken his body, stealing five thousand years of magic from his body. Flamespyre saw bodies as mere shells, Luna believed. Perhaps he no longer cared if the colt lived or died, having taken what he desired from the prince.

But what about now? Even in her weakened magical state, she could feel the unsettled magic broiling like a hurricane within the colt's body. How was he containing such energy? Why was his body not disintegrating from having that much magic in him? By all means, he should have been burnt to a crisp or transformed into some magical monstrosity, or perhaps something else entirely. Right now, it seethed and she could practically see it in an aura around his whole frame. It was not much different than watching her sister's horn glow as she worked her magic. Why was it surging now? Luna did not recall seeing such a display before. As she noted this, the aura faded as the magic began to settle.

No, it was still there. She noted with a great deal of interest as the entirety of the magic flowed beneath the colt. But to where? It was still attached to him. The connection felt permanent.

"Are you becoming a full Battlesinger? Are you becoming a monster like them?" she asked him curiously.

Silent Wing, of course could not and did not answer.

His shadow did.

She lept to her hooves as it stretched out from beneath him, his own shadow. A pair of golden eyes flew open in narrow slits and gazed at her curiously. Just as quickly, it retracted back beneath the prince's body, leaving behind it a ghostly air of having passed through, sending cold shock through the Alicorn's body despite the heat of the blazing sun. Luna was chilled to the bone with fright, staring at the spot where the eyes had been just moments ago. That... that thing was so powerful, so familiar!

It felt like Nightmare Moon's presence had come out to greet her like an old companion in passing. Teasing. Taunting. _Beckoning_.

What was it doing in Silent Wing?

* * *

The _Aurora_ was burning, a dying phoenix living the last moments of a very mortal life. Captain Gilda had ordered the charges to be set once the last of the survivors were on board the life boats. The once proud airship now rolled towards the sea, her bags of hydrogen catching flame one by one, rolling forward from the stern to her pointed bow. From the moment the first charge went off, the ship had less than thirty seconds to live. The ball of fire quickly advanced forward, sending a great black pillar of smoke into the blue sky. Many tears fell as the ship died with groaning struts and frames. The _Aurora_ died with great fanfare of her captain's design, settling at last stern first to the ocean swells.

A thousand changelings surrounded them within the hour. Captain Gilda and her crew surrendered, as did Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rarity. They all did. The children huddled with their mothers, either out of fear or to protect. Blazing Cruise and those others trained for combat were identified and placed in heavy chains. One of their own, a Unicorn mare shifted, became a changeling of who they were discovering to call themselves Topaz as well as the eyes of their chosen God, Flamespyre.

They were upset at the loss of one of the sons of their lord and master.

They were in the process of ferrying the last of their prisoners on board the great ship of steel. Their commander was none other than Myzanum. He presented himself before the surrendering Gilda and accepted it gruffly before stripping the Bearers of Harmony of their necklaces.

"You are aboard the _Vengeance_," he told them before they were led to the ship's brig. "Your home until we reach port in Kahsoon, the Shimmering Beacon and capital of the Topaz Kingdom. Please feel uncomfortable as you contemplate your fates to the whims of the Twin Queens."

The spy who had been with him spoke to him quietly, with respectful politeness. The hulking changeling nodded and dismissed her, casting his eyes towards the sea, then back at the gathered group just as they had been accounted for. They were lined up on the deck of the ship, at the bow before the first turret bearing the massive twin guns. Changelings were everywhere. Minotaurs were numbered among the crew, as well as strange bipedal fish creatures, like diamond dogs.

"Where is your last remaining changeling?" he demanded, scanning his captives.

Frakas was nowhere to be seen.

"He bailed on us as soon as he saw his prince bite the dust," snorted Gilda with contempt. "Little bastard just threw in the towel and ran like a coward."

Myzanum knew better. "I doubt that. I knew the prince's little bodyguards, griffon. I have seen them train and I know one of them is as good as five Topaz changeling stallions in a fight. He's on board this ship."

Cruise felt one of his eyes twitch, not anticipating an Emerald changeling to be on this ship. The captain of the _Vengeance_ had yet to be revealed, though he thought he could see a tall and slender figure observing them from the open bridge above the second turrent. It was a changeling mare, by all appearance and she could not be bothered to see her prisoners herself as she believed Princess Luna was still lurking out there.

The last remnants of the Aurora disappeared beneath the waves, leaving a large debris field as her watery grave marker. None mourned her loss more than Captain Gilda

The ship's crew remained at their action stations for a long time before she turned and steamed for home at a speed no Equestrian ship could hope to match.

* * *

Celestia was about to teleport to where she had last felt her sister until alarms sounded off throughout the castle. She was being held back somehow by the words of Queen Chrysalis, who argued leaving Canterlot exposed was dangerous and unwise. Another pause to her leaving was the sudden vastness of magic being used to the east, towards Fillydelphia. She dreaded what it might be. Chrysalis gave her a grim stare. Besides, a more dangerous possibility had reared its head. Ivory Buttons.

"What if one or two or perhaps more of those damnable dragons were to come while you go in search of a dead sister?" she snapped, her own heart mourning the loss of her son. "I want to find my boy as much as you want to find your sister, but we have the responsibility of a nation to see to! There is a war going on, in case you haven't noticed, Celestia."

Shocked, the white Alicorn stared at her dark counterpart, her voice thick with emotion as reason found its way through. However, she replied, "But I must know for certain. I won't be gone for long."

Horns blared and calls for an incoming messenger echoed throughout the courtyard. A Pegasus lathered in sweat and escorted by two Guards appeared before the balcony and landed, falling on his sides. He gasped as Celestia ordered some water to be brought.

"Catch your breath," she told the wheezing messenger as he tried to hurl the information at her weakly. He nodded and gratefully accepted a cup of water offered to him.

Finally, he was able to gasp out, "The left flank collapsed. General Flash Sentry ordered me to come here and request assistance. Dragon. Big one. Black with red tips. Using magic. Whole battalions slaughtered."

"Messenger coming!" came another cry from the courtyard.

"What now?" wondered Chrysalis to Celestia worriedly. The princess gave her a pained look and a weary sigh.

A second Pegasus joined the first one. "Grazeland has fallen. The enemy received reinforcements who smashed through the center. Even now, they own the road and our forces are in full retreat," he was less winded, though battered and bruised. "Has any of the other messengers made it?"

"Others?"

"We were overwhelmed, so our commander sent all his messengers at once to find help. The garrison was in flames when we arrived and we were ambushed by creatures we could not identify. Flying lizards, of some sort with barbed tails." He tried to maintain his composure, but wilted beneath the steely gaze of the Queen of the Changelings.

"You are the only one from the northern front," she said to him tonelessly.

"Sweet Celestia," he murmured, closing his eyes sadly and lowering his head.

A cup of water was pressed to him as well. He drank slowly, not even aware he had taken his ruler's name in vain in her presence.

"They're making their move now," Celestia noted with a shake of her head and a weak smile. "Very little we can do against overwhelming odds."

Chrysalis leaned over and whispered into her ear as Ivory Buttons hurried in. "If one of us leaves, he'll make his move. If we move on him, the front is lost."

Celestia considered the queen's words. Yes, they were most likely true. Equestria's position was precariously close to collapse. Her eyes brightened when she considered on possibility she would have dismissed. "I'll face Blood Assault," she said to Chrysalis, holding a hoof up to Ivory Buttons to maintain his distance. He smiled and bowed apologetically. "You stay here and deal with our friend. I think there is still an ace card we can play, but only if you are on the field. Here. In Canterlot."

Chrysalis arched an eyebrow. "Are you serious?"

"Very, Chryssie. Please trust me on this. Besides, you know I can't function very well here in the castle. The limitations. I suspect there is a range to the influence he's putting on me, so I should be able to face Blood Assault with a clear head."

"Very well. I hope you know what you're doing, Tia." Chrysalis offered her rival a brief smile, the sort of grin made by those who think an idea is insane and what's worse, she's accepted it as her only option available.

"What news have you for me, Ivory?" Celestia asked him with a kind smile, though weary.

The Secretary of Defense approached, his expression somber. "I'm sorry to bother you, princess, but it would appear the changeling camp is in an uproar. They are calling for their queen and demand more ground upon which to move about. There may be a revolt."

Chrysalis shrugged. "Lady Trixie can handle it."

"But," he protested. "She is not an official!"

"She is the Great and Powerful Nanny!" snapped Celestia coolly. "Queen Chrysalis has given her authority as... what was that rank again?" she asked Chrysalis curiously.

"Overseer," supplied the monarch helpfully.

"Yes, that's it. Thank you!" Celestia returned her attention to the portly pony. "The Lady Trixie has been appointed as Overseer to the refugee camp. If there was any trouble, then she would be the first to notify the Queen directly. I fear you may have been mongered into a trap of fear set by those who would love nothing more than to cause a bit of chaos."

The Queen of the Changelings arched an eyebrow curiously. "Great and Powerful Nanny?" Chrysalis asked her, the serious moment lulled into a spat of humor.

"She would have to be with over two hundred freshly adopted princes under her care."

Celestia wanted to drop all airs and fly to Luna, but she had to maintain herself now, especially at this moment. Everything was happening too fast. There simply was no time to mourn. Her smile was as faux as her cheerful mood. If word were to get out Luna had fallen, the panic would be catastrophic.

Ivory Buttons merely smiled. "Ah, of course, of course! The front requires help. Our Unicorns are holding as best they can, but the dragon attacking them seems to be exhausting their magic. He's too powerful!"

"I am going," Celestia announced firmly. "Directly." Her horn began to glow as she summoned the spell needed to physically teleport her from her current location to where she could sense magic unknown to her. It was within her country, so she could seek it out and locate it. "Fare thee well, my friend," was the last thing she said to Chrysalis before disappearing.

There was a lapse of sound as the Queen pondered the word. "Friend, eh?" Perhaps it would not be so bad to establish normalized relations with the ponies. There were other countries run by ponies, but this was by far the largest and most influential of them all.

But what if such thoughts were for nothing should Canterlot fall?

Her eyes settled upon Ivory Buttons. He was smiling up at her, awaiting her to say something, to ask a question, or to solicit him for advice. The Unicorn was simply too eager to please, too determined to make things easier for his ruler. Clearly he had started to become irritated with Chrysalis and her meddling in Canterlot affairs. She was simply too nosey and objected to almost everything he proposed! Oh, they seemed sound, but the scheming queen was as up to the task at uncovering his efforts as he was in putting them in place. As a result, she bore the brunt of his scathing glares when he thought she was not looking.

Foolish Battlesinger.

Chrysalis thought she might be in over her head, but she trusted Celestia. She had to trust the Princess of the Sun. Her subjects were defenseless. Her nation was in a state of civil war and also had troops pushing against Equestrian forces without their Queen to lead them.

"Fiddlesticks," she sighed, dismissing the messengers and the guards. The Queen waved at Ivory Buttons to remain.

"Majesty?" he asked through an oily smile.

"I only have one question for you, Mr. Secretary," she said, calming herself for what she knew was coming. "It's rather important. I think the fate of Equestria hangs upon your answer."

He set his monocle to his eye. "Of course, your Majesty. What is your question?"

"Which Battlesinger are you?"

Ivory Buttons smiled, his eyes changing to golden dragon eyes. "I thought you would never ask."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Conversations with the Nightmare**

"We must talk," a voice came to Luna. It was a whisper, a roar, in her mind, around her, before her. It was young, old, it was many, it was one. The voice caressed, it strangled, pleaded, demanded. It was an old companion, a stranger now. It was her greatest triumph, the weighted guilt of her past.

It was the power of Nightmare Moon. It was before her as a shadowy form in her dream. Yes, she knew it was her dream. She was at the oasis, the form of Silent Wing gray, cold to the touch, but breathing. The shadow of dark magic that had once been hers to call her own at one point was a mass before her, undulating and making no move towards her.

Luna was terrified.

"No, not again," she breathed. "Mother, no, not again."

"I know you," rippled the shadow. "I awakened your rage, your laments, your jealousy. I awakened all that was dark within you, amplified it, exposed that hatred within you and let it manifest, grow, destroy."

"No." Luna said firmly, though her voice felt it was going to crack. "Stay away from me."

It ignored her plea, but it still did not move. Around the oasis arose dark little forms with white blazing eyes. Thousands upon thousands of them. They stared at Luna, it seemed, accusing. "In your rage, the blood of the innocent mixed with the guilty. No flesh, no spirit, none whom you felt wronged you, denied you what you felt was your right was spared your wrath, save the one who sent us to the gray beyond," it said quietly. All the eyes shifted to the shadow.

A vast cry echoed through the dream. It was the voice of many, the dead calling out.

"What do you want?" Luna asked. Her attention went to the eyes around her. "Are these those whom I killed?" The dark Alicorn felt her heart surge into her throat. Why now?

Again, she was ignored, her presence required to do nothing more than listen. The shadow shifted, formed, established hard, dark wings, long legs, silvery blue armor Luna knew all too well. Cat-like blue eyes appeared gazed upon her. Nightmare Moon stood before her, in all her dark majesty, regarding the smaller form impassively, yet curiously.

"We were once one, you and I, until Harmony scattered us, splitting me from you." Moon moved with supple grace, like a regal queen, her steps slow as she was soon hovering over Silent Wing, regarding him curiously, longingly. "His name is not Silent Wing. His name is ancient, having been written in the stars long ago, only to be taken by madness and twisted, to be saved by a mother who gave her very essence to save him. He rebelled against the one who called him his master. Twice."

Luna did not move, but found herself fearing for Silent Wing. Without thinking, she moved towards him.

"I will not harm him. I cannot harm him," Nightmare Moon said, blinking slowly as she watched Luna approach. "I have no desire to harm. I can only manifest the power through the emotions of the host."

"What are you saying?" Luna asked. "What are you talking about? I want nothing to do with you. You are in my past. I cannot allow you to infect Silent Wing."

"Infect?" Moon flickered annoyance. "You do not understand, do you? I was still scattered to the winds when your rage drew a part of me to you. Tell me truthfully, Princess Luna, are you as powerful now as you were when you were the creature known as Nightmare Moon?"

"I do not see where this is relevant," began Luna, confused by the sudden shift from Silent to herself.

"You rivaled your sister in power," Moon continued, nuzzling the gray form at her hooves.

Luna started forward, outrage forming on her lips.

Moon came up suddenly. "The world could have been yours, Luna. You held back against your sister. You had a chance to deliver the final blow, yet you hesitated in the last moment, gave her an opening and spent a thousand years in torment, alone." Her head was tilted to one side, not angry, but curious. "Why?"

Luna stood her ground. "Why should I answer your questions? It's because of you I did so much harm!"

Moon levelled a steady gaze upon the smaller Alicorn. "I? I am but a source. It is my nature to manifest and amplify emotions. To take the actions of which you had complete control over yourself and shift them to me is incorrect. One does not blame the tool for the actions of the one using it."

Luna felt at a loss.

"We shall speak again. For now, rest. I should like to speak with you more. He is not ready for me yet."

"What?"

* * *

Luna woke up, shivering. Night was falling. The stars were out, she noted, gazing up at the darkening sky well past twilight. She wondered if Tia was going to raise the moon. With everything going on, would she be able to? The war had to be taxing her strength, especially on a mental level. But, she was strong. She had endured Discord's rebellion, King Sombra's corruption and domination of the Crystal Empire, and even her sister's jealousy. After that, she was alone for a thousand years.

The dark mare drew in a sharp breath, biting back the sob she knew wanted to come out. What was with the dream? Were those shadows around her representing those lives she had taken in her rage so long ago? Had she been so bitter in her jealousy of the ponies and their preference of the sun over her moon to warrant her slaughtering them with little more than the effort of flicking a hoof at them?

Her blue eyes fell upon Silent Wing's still form. Rising to her hooves, she trotted over to him and hovered her muzzle near his. He still breathed. Relieved, she gave him a soft, quick nuzzle and went to the edge of the water for a drink. She then filled her cheeks for him, thinking he must be thirsty after the day's passing. Trotting back to the stricken prince, Luna gave him water. He responded as before, this time with what she thought and hoped was more vigor. A golden eye opened, like before and held her for a moment. A weak little smile formed.

"Everything hurts," he croaked, following it with a painful little whimper.

She hushed him with a little kiss. "You will heal. I shall help you." _With no reliable magic?_

Silent tried to shift, but Luna would not let him move. "I guess I can't avoid you now, can I?" His grin became sheepish. "Mother would be happy."

Luna chuckled despite herself and the prince's condition. "But I would rather you be happy. I have no intention of devouring you as is customary with you changelings and your quaint cannibalistic habits."

Silent Wing shivered. It was becoming cold. Without thinking, Luna lay next to him, draping her wing over his body. Protests were cut off with more little kisses.

"Be silent, my Silent," she whispered. "No harm shall befall you under my care. You have my word. I know of Baethesa."

He froze, body tensing. Luna pulled him close, letting her body heat keep him warm. He felt cold, so cold!

"Frakas told you, didn't he?"

"Yes."

"I don't want to talk about it," Silent said sadly. "I did terrible things I should not have been able to do."

"As have I, Silent." The dark Alicorn was careful with her hooves as she wrapped them around his body. "Now, I am having a hard time with my magic in this area. I need to heal you, so I'm going to have to keep you close so I don't have to transfer my power over a distance. I think I can avoid losing what magic I can if I simply transfer it through physical contact."

"You're a terrible liar, Luna."

Flushing cheeks burned. "Whatever do you mean?"

"You just want an excuse to hold me."

"Is that bad?"

There was a pause. "No. It's nice."

She laughed a little. "Good. Now be still! I cannot heal you with all this noise. This region has a strange effect on my magic. I cannot cast it with full confidence as it appears to drain me the moment it leaves my body."

Silent Wing did go silent, settling against the Alicorn as she used a wing as a blanket for him. Luna smelled nice, he noted absently as he still felt so weary and weak. The pain was still there, but it was a dull throbbing. Small waves racked his body, marked by the little twitches up and down his frame.

The moon rose. Luna observed with sadness, wondering if her sister mourned for her now. The moonbeams filled the Princess of the Night with its magic, invigorating her. Her mane assumed its aura of stars within it, enveloping the prince gently.

Quietly she whispered into his ear, "I have thee and I shall not release thee, so long as you have me and do not wish to release me." Her magic flowed into him, praying it would not be absorbed.

_Healing him shall not be difficult._

Nothing was happening. Luna tried harder, pouring more of herself into mending the prince. Doubt flickered in her heart.

_You should be able to heal him._

Frustration began to affect her efforts. All this power and he was simply absorbing it! Silent Wing groaned, in pain, little muffled cries coming from the mouth he kept clamped shut. He was trusting her. She could not fail him!

_He'll die anyways. His wounds are simply too much. You only delayed the inevitable._

"No!" She grit her teeth. "I cannot abandon him! Not now! Not ever!" Tears began to pool in her eyes. Luna felt the doubts of her past rise up within her heart. This was different. This was despair.

"Luna?" The prince's voice was feeble, yet curious.

"Hush, my darling. I must concentrate. Trust me, please." She tried to sound pleasant, but she really wanted to scream in frustration. Why wasn't it working?

"Okay." The colt settled. _No, he is a stallion,_ Luna corrected herself. He had done more than enough to prove himself in her eyes.

_There is only one way you can save him, overcome the plague against magic in this place. There was once a great battle here, the magic used so great and so concentrated, the end result was a zone where magic is rendered useless unless one has exceptional power. It is a barrier you must overcome in order to get past the residue of a forgotten war._

Luna closed her eyes, setting her lips to a hard straight line. "I cannot."

_Then the one you call Silent Wing will die._

"There is another way!" Luna insisted.

_Is toying with his life worth your pride?_

"This has nothing to do with pride! This has everything to do with that which is evil."

_Am I evil?_

"I believe you are."

_Tell me then, Princess of Omnipotence, what is evil?_

Luna could not answer right away. Silent was asleep now, fading into her embrace with a contented face, occasionally twitching with spasms of pain. At least she could numb his physical hurts. He knew he was dying.

He knew it.

"Please."

_You have some time to consider. Not much. Perhaps until the dawn. He is not ready to accept his birthright. He is not complete. If I were to resume the place I was made for, it would shatter his soul and send it across the Void. Let me join you, Luna of Equestria once again and together we can make his body whole. We can together overcome the barrier dulling your magic._

"No!" Luna hugged her prince close to her, burying her snout in his thick tangled mane. Tears were streaming freely as she tried again and again with frantic bursts to push her magic upon Silent's injuries, to heal them, to do away with the possibility of becoming the one thing she loathed above all.

_As you wish. I shall not move against you for now. I must allow you to choose for yourself the path you must eventually take._

"I will not become Nightmare Moon again!" she cried.

_Is it the Nightmare you fear, or yourself? _The power was gone as if it had never been.

Luna remained awake all night, watching over Silent Wing. She could not sleep, for fear of losing him should she look away for even one moment. To her relief, she found she could still go into this dreams. Deciding to do just that, she released herself into the Land of Dreams, to seek out the prince.

* * *

Tseng Tzu observed sightlessly the pair from the rim of the crater, his ancient wrinkled face unreadable in the moonlight. On either side of him were a pair of camels swathed in the light robes of the desert folk, also observing the Alicorn and the chimera curiously. Each one leaned on a long pilum, a javelin with a square-shaped tip, a long steel shaft roughly two feet long attached to a wooden shaft three feet in length. Their heads were covered in heavy turbans, their faces covered, revealing only their eyes. Upon each back sat a changeling, garbed in similar fashion.

Anticipating the Topaz Kingdom would be aware of the airship, Tseng Tzu had departed to seek out old allies. The camels, of course were quick to supply minimal support, as they were still embattled in a current territorial dispute with the Topaz. They had little use for sea combat, as they were loathe to step off the sands of their home. As for the Jade changelings, they sent two randomly selected younger sons to represent them, indicating their dubious belief in the old griffon's need for help.

He had not anticipated the dragon to show so soon nor for it to fall so quickly. It had taken him the better part of the afternoon following the magic Silent Wing contained within him. It was like following a star on the horizon. Any creature with a minor aptitude for magic could sense it, though in varying degrees. Hating having to abandon the ship, but seeing the need to establish a safe haven on land, he had to go ahead to see what he could find. He had been promised. In return, he received what he how had with him. Luna was made aware of this.

It was better than nothing. At least they could sense what he sensed from Silent Wing, though not quite as clearly.

"Inform the Council of Queens," Tseng Tzu said to them as he stroked his long feather beard. "Tell them the Queen of the Moon has come at long last and she brings her favored consort. Watch for Topaz patrols, my friends. May the stars guide you."

Silently, the camels nodded, bearing their changeling riders who were equally silent. They took wing and disappeared into the night, going in a separate direction as their camel allies.

The Broken Jades were going to be needed. The trouble with them was they simply loved fighting perhaps too much and their desire to dominate the other in individual combat. On top of that, the matriarchs were troublesome to deal with as they had little trust for each other. They would be interested to see this chimera indeed. They would be able to sense the magic in him. They would squabble over who would have the rights to him. As a male, Silent Wing was about to be thrust into a mare-dominated society where his status as prince meant little. Jade changelings were, after all considered the most volatile and uncontrollable of all.

The key to this would rest upon the shoulders of Luna. If she were to be accepted as a matriarch, she was going to need to somehow get some of her magic back.

"They dream," he noted quietly, starting down the slope.

There was going to be a fight and Luna was going to have to protect Silent Wing from power hungry changeling Queens. Not just one, but heads of many houses. The Jade Republic was nothing to take lightly. They would certainly be interested in Silent Wing.

Should he survive the night.

All there was to do now was wait and see. The struggle would be from within.

* * *

Luna sat next to Silent at the tree where his hope lay. Chrysalis and Atalanta had been replaced beneath that living tree, the only living thing in all the land of his dreams. Why was everything so dead? Why did nothing change? His dreamscape was almost as if it was in permanent stasis. Side by side they shared the same view, quiet for a long while as in time they drew closer and closer together until she leaned into him and he pressed the side of his head into her neck.

"I don't want to die." His voice was steady, even solid.

"You are not going to." Luna nuzzled him. "I swear we will find a way."

"I'm afraid."

"As am I."

_Ah, I can speak to the both of you now._

Both the Alicorn and the colt shot to their hooves, their attention drawn to the center of the lake. The glass calm of the surface was disturbed by a single ripple. Soon it was followed by another and another and yet a fourth ripple. A dark shadow rose from it, perched upon a white mountain of rounded rocks and bleached branches. Water cascaded in thousands of small waterfalls from the steep slopes, the dark winged figure peering down upon the two observers with great interest and eager anticipation. It reached a pinnacle, a hundred feet above them as more white stones formed a path across the lake towards the newly grown mountain now in its center, with great torches lighting the way.

_Come forward and let us speak plainly to one another. There is much to negotiate. Perhaps a reasonable accord can be reached speaking to both of you, rather than convincing the former Nightmare Moon._

Luna hissed sharply. "Why do you persist?" she demanded, placing herself between Silent Wing and the black dragon of shadows she could now plainly see.

His wings undulated with the same sort of mysterious aura Celestia and Luna possessed with their mane and tails. So too were the ridges and spines along his back similarly shimmering. Unlike Flamespyre who inspired horror from those who first met him, this was a creature of immeasurable beauty and power.

His golden eyes shifted from Silent Wing to Luna, inclining his head politely. _I seek no quarrel. I assure you, our union was not intended. I mistakenly was drawn to you in your anger, thinking your power was his. _The dragon shifted his footing, curling his tail securely around his feet. _I sincerely apologize for the anguish it caused you. I had no control over myself. I was nothing more than instinct reacting with no means to communicate. I have been torn asunder for so long._

Silent Wing pushed himself past Luna gently, giving her a reassuring smile before addressing the dragon. "I know you from my dreams. I've been seeing you in my sleep since we left Canterlot."

Luna stared at him. "And you did not tell me?"

Sheepishly he shrugged. "I never felt threatened by him. He would just watch me and say one word."

_My name. _

"Oblivion, isn't it?"

_Changelings see me as the God of Death, as my former master Flamespyre so designated me long ago. I was once whole, but am now a third. The other third stands before me, half of the soul needed to complete us. The other is in Canterlot. In order for me to help you against Flamespyre, I must be made whole. However, I cannot be made whole until the two halves are made one. _Oblivion flickered as a shadow, his undulating form pulsing like a steady heartbeat. Those brightly lit golden eyes flared with each syllable, adding emphasis to the speech not coming from vocal chords, but from thoughts projected into the very world around them.

"But I'm dying and there's nothing that can be done." Silent Wing sighed. "I can feel my strength leaving me."

"There is a way," Luna said softly. "But it could change me back into a monster."

Silent Wing regarded her. "Then don't do it," he said plainly. "I'm not going to ask you to do something you don't think you can do. You know your limits. I don't know a lick about magic."

"It is not a matter of magic," she insisted sadly. "It is the doubts I still have lingering in my heart. I am afraid I will forget what happened to me last time and want to hurt those I love."

"I don't believe it." The prince turned to face her, stamping a hoof. Oblivion simply watched, a dark and ominous form. "Look, I don't know anything about Nightmare Moon other than what I've heard. I never asked you about it because it's none of my business."

_In the events leading up to the battle with her sister, many lives of those who rose up against Nightmare Moon perished. She threw down Celestia in their first meeting, catching her completely off guard. Then she went on a rampage while Celestia's guards hid her until her injuries could recover. No pony would give up the Sun._

As the dragon's voice filled their minds, images appeared around them, depicting the events of a thousand years ago as his memories flickered to life around them. They were illusions within a dream, floating to exposure in Silent's mind. Luna could not bear to look, casting a hateful glare at Oblivion as the dragon exposed her tragic past from her perspective as a completely different mare.

"Damn you," she grated coldly at Oblivion.

_The moment of her banishment after Celestia recovered from her wounds and went forth, prepared and with great reluctance to strike down the younger sister. Even so, the battle took three days and three nights. The face of Equestria was forever changed. In the end, Nightmare Moon was banished to the moon. We spent an eternity of silence, staring back at home, the mare lamenting where as I was simply waiting to be unleashed. I am nothing more than a weapon with partial sentience. I know not right from wrong, only that I must be wielded._

"Why do you want her to become Nightmare Moon?" Silent Wing asked Oblivion, stepping towards the dragon. His hoof touched the white stone. The young prince glanced down and recoiled. What leered back up at him was the skull of a pony.

After closer inspection, he realized they were all bones and not all from just ponies. There were griffon skulls, minotaur skulls, diamond dog skulls, dragon skulls, and even several skulls of races he could not identify. The path was made of them. Bones, too. His eyes followed the mass until they fell upon the mountain. They were all skulls and bones and skeletal remains.

_I told you, I am - rather we - are Death. _Oblivion settled down like a cat, his legs gathered beneath him as he adjusted from his sitting position. He stared down at the prince, yawned, and shook his great horned head. _If I am ever going to be reunited with the one I was intended to be wielded by, then you must be healed. There is a magical field you and I made when we denied the Master final victory five thousand years ago. After that, the Master was made very angry and split us into three pieces. The First Matriarch was put to death, I found, for interfering with the Master's plans. He has taken most of your life essence, I sense. Your current stored magic is recent. I can smell the death of your brother upon you. It must be his amplified remnants. In order for you to be made whole, you must first be healed before your body fails you. The damage was great. If you die, then I shall be nothing but a weapon with no master to wield me properly. Though Nightmare Moon is not my proper persona to be acquainted with again, it would be the logical step in restoring you to full magic._

Oblivion was rambling, words tumbling over each other in a mass confusing to Silent Wing. Luna had to digest it carefully, but she believed she understood what the dragon was getting at. She had followed the prince closely, not for once taking her eyes off the black monster looming over them like a living gargoyle.

"What if I were to use the magic Silent Wing has within him? It is already there. It just requires tapping into."

Silent was surprised, craning his neck to her. "You can do that?"

_It is worth looking into. However, time is short. _

Luna ignored Oblivion, focusing on the prince with whom she wanted to spend eternity with. "I can do it. But it could be as dangerous. It requires us occupying the same mind while completely unaware of the outside world. It requires mental discipline and is actually forbidden because it can damage a mind or both minds involved permanently."

Silent was mute with wonderment and apprehensive.

"Do you trust me?" she asked him.

"I do."

Luna smiled. "Good. Then do exactly as I tell you."

_Yes. A mistake here in the mind of a chimera is not the best place for one to lose concentration. _Oblivion ignored the glare from both the prince and the princess.

* * *

Tseng Tzu could not see, but he could sense danger approaching. A hunter of the night were coming, the desert's fiercest coming towards the oasis for a drink. If the wind shifted, it would certainly smell the sleeping pair. From the sound of it, this one was large, dangerous.

Hungry.

The old master felt this was going to be his defining moment in his long life. To him, life and death were a part of each other. One had no meaning without the other. The cycle was endless for most intelligent beings. He was no different, though his own life had far exceeded the typical lifespan of a griffon. How many centuries had it been? Fifteen? Sixteen?

"A long life," he noted sagely, remembering the promise he gave to an old acquaintance to teach a colt struggling to live in a kingdom of racism and xenophobia how to rise above it and become a leader in his own right. He had traveled the world, exploring places long forgotten and others best undiscovered.

Taking his staff, he drew a line in the sand, forming a circle around Luna and Silent Wing, knowing where to place it without his eyes, having been taken from him long ago, when he was young. His own master had requested Silent be trained, appearing after a thousand years of being away. An explanation was not needed, but the request was unusual. However, it was a simple request and Tseng Tzu saw the reason for it the moment he first felt the colt's aura.

Silent Wing became something of a grandson to him as well as a student. The white griffon was fond of the boy and was determined to let him have a chance to discover what he truly wanted to do in life. The scent of the Alicorn told Tseng Silent was already reaching for one of his dreams right now. The energy between them was good, he decided as he finished making his circle around them. Having done that, he grunted, tilted his head into the wind and listened.

Ah, there it was. Observing down, no doubt. Its eight eyes were locked on him, looking with hunger, savoring the meal to come. Pincers clacked together eagerly as the hunter approached. It could smell them now and it came with dreadful intent.

The sand scorpion was one of the most feared denizens of the desert, and among the largest until one came across the great worms out in the dune seas further inland. There were desert raiders, of course, but this close to the shores and so far from the caravan routes made it unlikely. The wild predators were more than enough to deal with. The predator now coming at him had a thick black carapace and heavy chitin protecting it. Sensitive stiff hairs lined its bodies in certain places to make up for its poor eyesight. They were good enough to spy out the griffon and those he guarded from the scorpion. It was huge, easily a ton.

It was a good night to die.

Twirling his gnarled staff in his ancient talons, Tseng Tzu moved, flaring his old wings as he placed himself squarely between the scorpion and the sleeping couple. Then, he prepared himself mentally for the battle to come, exhaling out slowly, then inhaling, spreading his hind legs firmly apart and rearing as the scorpion closed upon him. At the last moment as the pincers closed in on him, he twisted up and over the beast, using the curl in its barbed tail as a springboard. The spasming muscles sprang him up, his wings flapping as he became airborne for a moment as he gauged his opponent's location sightlessly. Diving straight down and angling towards the direction he had come, he drove the tip of his staff into the scorpion's armor just behind the two center eyes. There was a loud crack upon impact, the natural armor nearly giving way to the blow.

Tseng twisted away, avoiding the stinger he knew was coming after him, staying behind the grasp of the pincers. The scorpion wheeled on him, sensing his feet striking the ground. It did not understand it was being attacked, only that its prey was defending itself. There was its meal in front of it, tantalizingly close. It rose on its eight legs and darted in with its barb, hoping to drive its victim into the grasp of one of its pincers.

The old white bird spun, using a talon to grab the tail and guiding it into the incoming right claw. The pincer instinctively closed on the barbed tail, crushing it. The monster chittered, releasing its tail. It hung limply as it withdrew, dangling over the body and leaking ichor where the armor was cracked. As it did so, the left pincer found the master's staff and wrenched it from his grip. The master's other talon found the scorpion's face and slashed with wicked claws. They scraped harmlessly over the armor, but it was not the intent.

Three eyes were now useless.

It cost Tseng as the right pincer came in, clipping the left rear leg. Blood flowed as he kicked it away, took to the air and bore the pain with a grimace. It would not release him and the old griffon was hurled to the ground. The wounded tail came over the scorpion's back, aiming for his center mass. Tseng could feel the creature moving for the killing blow, twisting this way and that until he gripped the barb in on talon and jammed it into the ground.

He felt his leg snap under the grip of the scorpion's pincer. There was a wrenching sound, the tearing of flesh, then culminating by a dull pop. Tseng Tzu was free and he moved underneath the scorpion's body, rolling on his back and ramming his claws into the relative soft underbelly of the monster. With a shriek, he focused his chi into his two taloned foreclaws and rammed them with all the force he could muster straight up and through the armor.

He was rewarded when the scorpion recoiled, blood and ichor splashing over the badly wounded griffon. It staggered away, flailing uselessly with its tail at empty air, legs kicking up soil and tearing up the underbrush. The sand scorpion had enough, sensing its injuries were grievous. They were fatal and it did not know it was dying. As it began flopping up the crater, it's movements became less and less controlled and more and more driven by reflex.

Tseng Tzu his fate had been sealed. His left leg was gone from the hip. His life poured out into the sand. Still, he smiled, considering the safety of his student and the one he loved safe.

It was a good night to die and Tsang Tzu sang his death song.

Though I die, I smile

No regrets for a life lived to its fullest

I pass from this world to the next

Life without death

Death without life

One nothing without the other

I go with gladness in my heart

My love, my life, I go to your embrace

My love, my life, I come home at long last

Accept my being and my deeds

I pray they are enough to be remembered

It was an honor to have lived such a wonderful life

Farewell, my student

Farewell, my son

Discover your destiny

Only you can decide your fate

As the sun comes, find yourself

My life for yours, a good trade!

Farewell, farewell

Though I die, I smile


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

**Desert of the Dead**

Atalanta sat across from a small round table in a delicate little chair set upon a landing of the castle facing the ocean. The blistering desert sun was shaded by red silk sheets stretched across a frame crafted from the bones of some large beast the changeling princess could not identify. A slight breeze from the ocean brought with it the pleasing smell of sea spray, even offering a respite from the oppressive heat. This was one of the few things she liked about the Shimmering Beacon, Kahsoon. She hated the heat. She hated there was nothing green. She hated the fact the city and the castle were the most magnificent things compared to the home she knew. Ah, morning in the Topaz Kingdom. Always hot. Always dry. Always predictable.

How utterly _boring_.

Her tea partner this late morning was none other than Discord, Lord of Chaos. Behind Atalanta was the wingless form of Rosie, who was busy knitting a head scarf for the chilly desert nights with her foal sleeping against her side. She was reclined on a comfortable couch and was also Atalanta's designated nanny while the Topaz Queens attended to their duties as monarchs of their sprawling kingdom. She said little, but did offer a scrutinizing glare at Discord every once in a while as she knitted. Earlier, he had turned her yarn into wet noodles. Oh, he put it to right soon after, but not after he got a good laugh and thanked her for being such a good sport about it.

Discord sipped his tea with his lion arm, holding the saucer with his eagle claws. He wore a top hat, a monocle, and a fine dinner jacket. A brightly colored vest gleamed with golden thread and the chain of a pocket watch was hanging from one of the pockets to the bottom button of his vest. He was delicately eating his tea cup, its contents not spilling one drop. For that matter, they maintained their form in the cup as it was slowly eaten away.

Atalanta simply stared at the draconequus, fascinated and at the same time a little more than impressed at his inane ability to do chaotic things. He seemed to take delight in having one filly delight in his power and his little jokes and means of amusement. They had fast become friends, especially since Star Journey was in the gilded prison of illusions with his mother, Twilight Sparkle. The twin queens Tappis and Tappaz equally hated and were terrified of Discord, though he did try to entice them into playing in his own twisted way of seeking good old fashioned fun.

It was quiet time right now. It was a time for planning. It was a time for scheming. It was time to figure out how to pass the day without doing anything catastrophic. Discord found, much to his dismay, the folk in this part of the world were even less fond of chocolate rain, roads made of sudsy soap. and floating houses. Why, the changelings were downright conservative! There was a time then Discord thought of swapping the desert and the ocean, but that was discarded soon after he found his magic was restricted here. To his dismay, he had to be reminded of the inconvenient fact half of the desert was a void to all magic due to his half brother's spectacular refusal to obey Flamespyre.

He regarded Atalanta with a pursed lip and an arched brow as he popped the last of his tea cup into his mouth. He chewed, he thought, he tossed the liquid over his shoulder where it fell a thousand feet, screaming the whole way down. It landed in the sound of a squeak toy, followed by the screams of those unfortunate to see it land, splatter, and burst into living flame. The flames were now chasing whoever came near, screaming, "Tell me I'm hot!"

The last part would have happened a thousand years ago. Now, it was just a boring, dull splatter of spilt tea already evaporating beneath the glare of the sun. Discord had promised to use his powers for good. Which meant he wasn't going to use them at all.

_Take that, Celestia!_

"What shall we do today, my little princess?" he asked her at last, the tone in his voice indicating he had not yet thought of anything worth doing. "Shall we make the waves dance upon the shores below? Shall we make the pigeons poop on the heads of the most expensive of hairdos and the baldest of heads? Shall we play a game of tickle monster?"

"I want my mommy," Atalanta said to him simply.

He smiled awkwardly, not really sure how to answer her statement. "All in good time, my dear," grinned Discord reassuringly. "We simply must wait for your brother to get here! Did I tell you he's my brother, too?"

"Really?" She blinked up at him in disbelief.

"Well, half-brother, really. But that makes you and I practically family!" He sniffled, wiping away a tear. Discord ate his saucer in one gulp. Rosie rolled her eyes at him, pausing in her knitting. "Can I call you Ata? Please tell me I can call you Ata!" Discord stretched his long body over the table, hanging his head upside down as his pleading eyes met the little princess inches from her own. He quivered his lower lip with exaggerated emphasis.

"Why is all of this happening?" she asked him, avoiding the question. "Why can't I be with my mommy and my brother? Why are all these bad things happening? Why aren't you helping me if you're powerful and wonderful?"

Discord pulled himself around and behind the little princess, eyes darting about as he sought a way to answer such awkward questions. "Well, you see, my father Flamespyre was asleep for a very long time. He hates magic, but uses it because it's there to be used. He hates me because I love using my magic in the most chaotic of ways! I use it because it's fun and I can do all sorts of wonderful things by just thinking about it. I can do anything I want!" He sighed, beginning to sing as a kazoo played out of nothing. "But Daddy, dear, dear Daddy is such a party pooper. Every party needs a pooper that's why we invited Daddy. Party pooper. Party pooper." Balloons fell out of the sky, deflating as they drifted towards the ground. They made rather rude sounds in tune with the odd instrument playing.

Atalanta giggled. "You're silly!" she accused Discord, her melancholy forgotten for the moment. Discord did do one thing; he ended the mental manipulation the Topaz Queens had over her, but they would on occasion want to spend time with her. They needed her presence for reasons the little princess could not explain. The thought became a question on her small mouth. "Why do the Queens always want to treat me like they're my mommies?"

The Lord of Chaos arched a brow at her, rolling his mouth to one corner and puckering. "Do you really want to know?" he asked skeptically. "I'd much rather tell you how I can make clouds pink and make it rain chocolate!"

"Yes. Because chaos. I get that."

"You're no fun."

She gave him large, innocent liquid eyes. "Please?" A quivering lower matched her expression. Her mimicry was spot on of the Lord of Chaos' earlier pout.

Discord sighed, giving in. "Oh, you're good. You're very good, my little princess. Well, you remember that Prophet fellow, yes? Big alicorn. Always drunk. Lives in a cave with lots of old, musty things. Plays doctor."

"Yes. I'm forbidden from seeing him again. Tappis and Tappaz said so."

"Oh they did, did they?" He stood, went over to the princess and knelt down, his face next to hers, side by side. "Let's go pay him a visit, then. Come, Rosie! You and the little one, too. Don't need to give the meanie queenies a reason to rip off your legs now, do we?"

He twisted his neck grotesquely towards the governess and her little foal, her eyes suddenly wide as she stop in the middle of her knitting. A huge rake appeared behind her and yanked the seat she was in along with her foal smoothly towards the draconequus and Atalanta.

"We'll go and you'll know everything! I'll bring the popcorn, too!"

Discord's laughter was all that was left as a flash of white light flared, leaving a very empty balcony.

Well, it was his mouth. It had fallen off his face as he laughed, leaving it bouncing around on the ground until a little black circle appeared in mid-air. An eagle claw emerged, feeling around blindly for the still laughing mouth until it pinched a corner and shook it rather violently.

"I hate it when that happens," complained Discord's lips with a sigh. With a yank, the arm went back into the hole, a zipper yanking it closed right after.

* * *

Luna awoke from the dream, sensing immediately her surroundings had been altered. For one thing, she felt cushions beneath her, a blanket covering her. It felt soft, wondrous. The scent of rose petals filled her nostrils as she felt silk pillows beneath her head. She felt sluggish, but rested as the fog slowly began to clear from her mind. A blue eye slowly opened. She realized she was in a low ceiling tent, supported by stout poles, and made from various colors of woven cloth. Most of the colors were warm and bright, clashing with dark trim and stripes. Most everything was stripes, she noted, still trying to pull herself together. The memory of the dream walk troubled her deeply. Waking up in a tent and not in the open air dawned as something was missing from all the unexpected additions around her.

"Silent!" She struggled to rise, rolling from her side to her belly, her muscles feeling like rubber and her head still swimming in a sea of sweet thick bliss. Luna shook her head, a hoof to her temples, closing her eyes and focusing.

"Silent?" wondered a dry, strange voice near the corner of the tent. "Do you speak of your companion we found with you, Dark Lady?" The words were ancient, accented thickly as the Alicorn turned her attention towards the speaker.

A camel cow watched her. She was a living example of wrinkles upon wrinkles, leathery skin covered in course, short hair, ancient face creased from years under the sun. Dressed in black silk robes, her head was uncovered and adorned with jewelry, mostly sapphires and rubies. Each ear bore half a dozen golden hoops, the bottom ones bearing delicate golden chains leading to the nostrils where a single large nose ring dominated her muzzle. Bright brown eyes from beneath bushy brows regarded the princess curiously as she smoked from a stem carved from ivory, its other end attached by a flexible tube to a hooka. Smoke drifted lazily from both nostrils as she peered through them at Luna, impassive and withholding judgement. Behind her rose a single impressive hump from her back, wooly at the top and adorned with more golden chains and was the only part of her back uncovered by her robes. She was quite clearly the larger of the two figures in the tent.

"I do," replied Luna, aware she had been staring. "My apologies for staring. I have never seen one of your kind before, save for pictures in books."

"I do not mind your curious eyes," replied the camel. She puffed lightly at her stem. "I have had a day and a night to stare upon your body. Like you, I have never seen a pony quite like you." A smile was offered as more smoke trailed up. It sped forward in fading rolls as she exhaled. "My name is Moonstar. I am the Old Mother among my people. I provide wisdom and insight to my tribe and my son, the chief."

"My name is Princess Luna of Equestria." She inclined her head politely, shifting her thoughts to diplomacy. "Forgive me if I know not your customs. Please enlighten me should I fall off the path and prevent any insult on my part to happen. You have my thanks for providing comfort."

Moonstar gave her a nod, polite and low. "I am honored to know your name, Princess Luna of Equestria. Your country is not unknown to us. It is knowledge of little significance, but a country half way around the world is of little interest to us, yes?" She puffed again, averting her long lashes towards what Luna assumed was the closed flaps of the tent entrance. "Your companion is in another tent as we do not allow males to be in the same tent as females."

"How is he?"

Moonstar frowned. "He fares poorly. His injuries are great, but he lives. Our healers were able to slow the advance of death, but it comes still, I fear. The spirits thirst for his life."

"I must go to him!" Luna struggled to her hooves. She fell a few times as she still did not have complete control of her facilities or motor functions. As she did so, her voice uttered, "Spirits?"

Moonstar watched, impassive as she rose majestically from her resting position, rising front first upon long, sinewy legs before her rear legs came up. As awkward as it might have seemed to Luna, the old camel managed to do it with unthinking ease. She did not offer to help the princess, setting aside her stem and blowing the last of the smoke from her mouth.

"The spirits watch him for now. This is a sacred place you found. They are strong here. We will wait until proper help arrives." The Old Mother then went forward and offered a steadying leg to the disoriented princess.

"Where is Silent? Please, let me go to him," Luna urged.

"He is safe within the circle for now. Your night was troubled. A great scorpion came in the night while you dreamed. The spirits of the oasis would not allow you to awaken."

The Alicorn blurted suddenly, "The dream! I saw them in my dream! Strange figures, spiteful and vengeful." _Circle?_ She was very confused and groggy.

Moonstar grunted in acknowledgement. "You saw the dead. This is the largest battlefield in the world, encompassing a third of the land. Even now, the land is stricken even after so long." She indicated a tray on a short legged round table made of dark lacquered wood and bearing intricate carvings of leaves and flowers along its edges. Upon it lay a pitcher of water and a bowl of what appeared to be exotic fruits. "Come. You must be hungry. Sit. Eat. Gather yourself. Then I will take you to the chimera."

"You are very kind." The dark mare smiled at her hostess, who simply nodded and smiled, urging her towards the table like a stern grandmother. She found herself feeling ravenous as the camel cow sat down on the opposite side of the table and began to fill up a wide simple silver goblet. She drank, finding the water as sweet and cool as what she had drawn from the oasis, finding some trouble using her hooves as her magic failed her.

Luna was not used to having her magic be utterly useless.

Moonstar said nothing to mock to princess, but observed with a nod, "You use magic where you are from?"

Luna was using her hooves carefully to lift her cup to her lips. She managed somehow, concentrating as she stared a challenge at her drink. "I do. I had always thought it to be my greatest strength. This is rather embarrassing." Flushing cheeks echoed her words as she set her drink down.

"The other one is filled with magic, though he does not seem to be capable of using it." The food was pushed towards the Alicorn.

Luna stared at it, hoof hovering as her eyes slowly came up. "He cannot use magic. Of this, I am certain. Something happened, hurling the both of us across the sky. Silent Wing was hurt by the explosion and some of the magic was absorbed by his body when he tried to protect me from it." She didn't want to give too much away, not at all trusting her hostess, though she was grateful for the food and water.

Moonstar considered the story as it was being told to her. "From which direction were you thrown from?"

"From the south, I think. We were spun through the air for a goodly distance and the disorientation was great for me. I honestly do not know."

"I see. Try the dates, child. They are good for invigorating the digestion."

Luna did so, managing a fruit the cow nodded as she hovered a hoof over one. She tried it, taking an experimental nibble. It was surprisingly firm and full of flavor. "What did you mean when you said proper help?"

"Friends bring remedies that may be of help. Soon they come. The boy is special. He means something to you. This is quite apparent. One gave his life to preserve the both of you. He was a dear friend of mine." An emotional quiver rode with the ancient voice. "When we discovered the two of you, a circle had been drawn about the both of you."

"A circle?" Luna tried to ignore the flush to her cheeks. She felt like a filly before this venerable cow. "What sort of circle? Who died?"

"It was a simple warding circle to keep the spirits at bay. To us, he was simply Blind Calm. You knew him as Tseng Tzu." The pain was clear, lingering, a hovering shadow yet to pass on. "His mark is upon the colt. We have met his student at long last."

"Master Tseng Tzu?" Luna stopped eating, lifting her chin sharply at the mention of his name, her eyes round. Her appetite fell away. "Oh, I am so sorry to hear that. Silent Wing looked up to him like a father. He will be missed." What else could she say?

"He lived a long life and died protecting someone he loved," Moonstar said sagely, her stare a thousand miles away. "He is with his wife, now."

"He was a widower?" Luna thought the old griffin a hermit. Married?

She was answered with a nod. "Died while laying their first egg. The chick was stillborn in the shell. It is a tragic tale. Perhaps I will tell you when you have gained my trust. He was a very special teacher, as patient as the rocks and as wise as the past."

"I didn't know." This was a horrible clarification to hear in regards to someone she had once considered a friend and having enough wisdom to turn to for advice. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know!" Luna bit her lower lip.

"It matters not, young one." Moonstar apparently did not know Luna had many centuries behind her, having almost no knowledge of Alicorns. "What you knew about him was what he allowed you to know, nothing more. What matters now is his journey has reached its next chapter. What matters is he is now with his family and is at last at peace."

The old cow rose to her feet, seeing Luna was not eating. She made her way stiffly to the entrance of the tent. As she moved, her gold jewelry jingled and jangled lightly, a soft and lively sound full of life. There, she waited, patiently. Her long face was impassive, lower jaw moving back and forth slowly as if she was chewing cud.

"Come. Let us go see to your heart."

"Why am I so groggy?" complained Luna as she came to her hooves. It was like there was a delay in what she wanted to do and what actually happened. The delay wasn't as bad now as it was when she first woke up at least.

"We burned incense to keep you asleep while we convinced the spirits not to devour your companion. The scent keeps them at bay. It is from Dreadweed. We burn it when the spirits are enraged and come seeking blind vengeance." Moonstar opened the flap and gestured Luna out. "One of the side effects is it induces several hours of sleep. Upon waking up, the affected may feel sluggish, as I am sure you do now. Fear not, the one you call Tseng Tzu was convinced the both of you are precious to our needs."

The princess strode forward, her muscles more responsive. Her thoughts had cleared now, perhaps thanks in part to the water. "Needs?" she asked as she strode into the midday sun. Having the sun blinding her and the dry wind blasting at her body with dry heat. Turning her head away from the rays of her sister's glory, she waited for her eyes to adjust to the brightness.

"We have waited for you for a long time," Moonstar told her as she emerged from the tent.

Brushing past the smaller mare, the cow led her to another tent, smaller and constructed over the spot where Luna had first put Silent Wing down. Apparently they had not moved him. A large burly looking bull covered from head to toe in flowing robes glared at Luna with flat dark eyes. A scimitar was slung around his neck, its hilt gilded with gold and pearls. He bowed to the old cow respectfully, pulling aside the tent flap.

"There is a doctor inside watching over him. Do not mind him as his job is to keep your friend comfortable until help comes and we can decide what to do. For now, the colt rests." The Old Mother was very gentle as she spoke, almost as if she was speaking in reverence for the dead. "Speak to the doctor when you are done. I have other things to attend to. My son shall wish to greet you properly now that you are awake." Without waiting for Luna to respond, the old cow swept away towards a large tent set up on the far side of the oasis.

The fierce looking guard grunted and flipped open the tent flap, tossing his chin bluntly towards the opening for Luna. It was clear he thought little of her. Or maybe he was having a bad day. Perhaps it was something else. The princess matched his flinty glare with an icy stare. He flinched and looked away as she strode proudly past him.

_How quaint. Saved by camels._

She flinched as the tent was closed up behind her, allowing her eyes to adjust to the darkness and mentally cursing at Oblivion. _For an unfeeling weapon, you seem to have an opinion for other species. _It was remarkably as easy to speak to it as it was to her sister.

_ I merely said it was quaint._

She pushed the thoughts from her mind, her attention going to a ring of seven torches set up around a small form nestled between large plush cushions and silken sheets. A mess of red mane could be seen, uncovered as Silent Wing had his back to her. The princess took in a slow, deep breath then exhaled in relief when she saw his side slowly rising and falling from beneath the sheets. Searching the interior of the small tent, it took but a moment to see a very large camel with a pale coat and squinting eyes peering at her blearily.

"Ah, the mare is awake!" he spoke quietly.

The faded muzzle was bearded and weaved into a large singular braid curled like a rope before his chest. It appeared as though he had been mixing a potion, based on the small table filled with all sorts of vials with different colored liquids in them. Each one was carefully labeled. A large flat angled table with a lamp light provided the one source of light other than the sunlight seeping through the small gaps throughout the sides of the tent. The doctor apparently was in the middle of writing something down, using a script of flowing words appearing to Luna more appropriate for a music sheet than a letter.

"How is he?" she asked him with a worried smile.

The doctor waved a forefoot at him. "See for yourself. Sleeping colts do not bite." Huge teeth greeted her as he smiled. They were crooked. "Mind you do not knock over the lamps. The ward allows the living to pass over, but not the dead."

Undead? She still did not understand this sudden talk of such unholy things. They were largely unheard of in Equestria. Ghosts did haunt, but they were rarely dangerous unless encountered in the Everfree Forest. Here she sensed they were indeed dangerous, especially if they were putting up wards - she glanced at the crude seeming torches surrounding Silent Wing - as primitive in appearance as these. Not one to step on the beliefs of other races, she made sure to not only avoid the torches, but minded her hoof steps as she stepped over the line.

Tseng Tzu was dead? The news of his death stung. Surely the prince would take it hard. As she thought this, Silent stirred, sensing her approach. Her muzzle went to his, touching it lightly. He felt cold to her touch. An eye fluttered open, sought out the source of the touch and found her.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him, masking her fear at his terrible condition. She did not need to see his body to tell he was slowly wasting away. The magic within him was slowly breaking his body apart. She realized with sudden clarity the second reason why her healing was not working. It was a dread realization. He was absorbing her magic. Why has she not seen this earlier? She had made his condition worse!

Silent read her eyes. "Don't. Everything will be okay. You're too beautiful to have a sad face." It took a lot of effort for him to speak in a whisper, but he was smiling.

"Be careful and don't let him expend too much energy," the doctor warned in his thick accent. He went back to his writing after offering Luna a warning through a friendly smile.

_I can heal him._

Luna ignored Oblivion, a lump in her throat as her nuzzle hushed her prince. "I have been told help is coming to tend to your injuries," she breathed into his ear. "Do not give up. I will not let you."

"Oblivion still talking to you?"

"Yes." Luna hesitated, not sure if she could tell him.

"What is it? Luna, please tell me."

"I just realized what might be killing you," she told him, hiccupping as she struggled to maintain her composure. "The magic you absorbed was too much at one time for you to take. Your body is trying to contain it, but the forces behind so much energy is slowly destroying you from the inside out. We need a way to let the magic out, but I do not know how to extract it from you without harming you further. If we were in Canterlot, I could find a solution in the Royal Library."

"We'll get the first boat to Equestria then." Silent grinned at her, managing the strength to reach a pockmarked hoof to one of hers and patting it reassuringly. "First class all the way."

Despite herself, Luna laughed. She would tell him about Tseng Tzu later. "Have you eaten?" she asked.

"No."

"You should eat something."

"Yes, mother."

"Stop that."

"Why? It annoys you."

She was giggling and it was all his fault. "You are incorrigible."

"I grew up around a pair of idiots in Feidole and Frakas."

"Well, even idiots need to eat and you are no exception."

Food was brough and Luna helped Silent feed himself. His protests were feeble and Luna was a quick study in not using magic to help feed him. The prince was not happy he was simply too weak to feed himself, but he also saw the advantages of having a pretty mare dote over him far more positively now than he had before. The bad part was feeling like a foal. Silent hated that. Overall the experience wasn't too traumatizing and the mess was not too horrible. Both giggled a bit more than they should have, the doctor clearing his throat and glaring at them a few times.

Perhaps more because he wanted silence than requiring the quiet for Silent's benefit. He continued his work, measuring out medicine. At one point, he came over to feed Silent a small vile of red liquid, explaining to Luna the root extract was good for the constitution and promoted a strong heart. She was skeptical, but allowed the camel to go about his work.

"Pardon," she interrupted him politely, smiling, "but the Lady Moonstar told me help was coming. What sort of help might that be, if I may be so bold as to ask?"

"The Jades are coming," he replied affably. "They are sworn enemies of the Topaz and have been at war with them for a very long time. I assure you, they are friends to us camels. As for ponies, I am not so sure. Are you familiar with changeling society?"

"I am familiar with some of their culture and customs, yes."

"Good. You'll need it. They love to fight and will choose to fight you because you are not one of them. Think of it as an initiation to gain their trust. Once you get in their good graces, you'll find them tolerable. Just don't go around irritating their queens."

"Tolerable?"

"Don't make the mistake of thinking them friends, missy. If you befriend one matriarch, you'll make an enemy of three more. Be diplomatic and commit to nothing. Make no promises and choose your words carefully." The doctor's face was dead serious as he explained.

"I shall keep that in mind. Thank you."

He grunted, smiled, and went back to his little makeshift work area, muttering to himself. The pen was lifted, the inkwell invaded, and more scribbling commenced.

Silent listened carefully as Luna absorbed the information. Jade changelings?

"Make sure you address the matriarchs," he reminded her as he tapped her elbow for her attention. "Just be yourself."

"My darling," she chided him sternly with a smile. "I have been conducting diplomacy longer than you have been alive. I know how to handle myself."

"But these are changelings," he insisted, lifting his head from his pillow.

"Trust me." She planted a hoof on his forehead and pressed him back into his pillow. "Give me some credit for having at least an ounce of wisdom within me. Now rest, Silent Wing. I shall watch over you."

He did so, leaving Luna to not ponder over the coming changelings. Instead, she went back to his problem with the magic bottled into his body. She could feel it bubbling like a raging flood behind a dam, unable to escape and destroying everything around it in its frothing rage. As it eroded him from the inside, eventually his organs would begin to shut down one by one.

How could she relieve him of the strain? The power was enormous, like the whole of the sun contained within his body As much as she was not student of study, Luna was still well versed in magic and its many applications. Though she was certain her sister would have identified the problem immediately, Tia was not here to tell her what she must do. This was not to at all suggest the Princess of the Moon could not do it. A thousand years of banishment had deprived her of the years needed to be as proficient in understanding the stranger workings of magic and the more unusual effects it may or may not be capable of. Now, Starswirl the Bearded was perhaps the most knowledgeable sorcerer ever to live, if not the most powerful Unicorn. He would have been able to perhaps offer a solution, Luna knew. It was a bitter pill to swallow a thousand years of banishment had quite possibly deprived her of being able to know exactly how to resolve this problem.

_Accept me once again, Luna. Become Nightmare Moon. Save your beloved. Have the power once yours. He will not want me. He will not wield me. He will know what I am capable of, what I can do._

She flinched, noting the change in attitude. _I thought you wanted him._

_ I do. I was made for him. But we have tried twice before to exist as one. I still desire it, but he will not. I am not sure. We have been speaking since you were taken. I understand his hopes and dreams. He does not want the power. _

_ You turned me into a monster. I can see why he would not want you._

_ Princess Luna, you do not yet understand, do you? I am a weapon. I have a singular purpose and that is to be the extended will of the one who wills me. I am primal instinct made manifest, magnifying those emotions strongest within you. I am indifferent as to how I am wielded, so long as I am used. If I am used, I feel useful._

Her thoughts shifted, thinking of what the old cow had told her of the spirits. _Are all the dead here because of you?_

_ Partially. His emotions overflowed as her rebelled against his father. His rage peaked and he unleashed the fury of his power against his father. It was not enough to destroy him, but it ended the war and ended the reign of Flamespyre. The aftermath was tens of thousands of lives gone in an instant, a shattered continent laid waste to this very day. Even now, the dead sense him and come. He does not remember, but they care not. They know the touch of the one who killed them all. The magic within him is a beacon, calling to them. Eventually the wards will not be enough. If the magic does not destroy him, the dead will. The door is closing, Princess Luna._

Eyes shot wide, staring suddenly down upon the fitfully sleeping Silent Wing. "Door! We have to make you a door!" Why didn't she notice this earlier? Why hadn't she seen?

"Quiet please," the doctor growled without looking up from his work.

She flushed, apologized. She had to explain it to him. She had to get into his dreams.

Oblivion sighed in her mind. _Now what?_

She ignored the presence and closed her eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

**Broken Symbols**

Scarheart could not understand the commotion. The young and nearly mindless dragon watched a brilliant light show explode in the skies above him. Though he was often left alone as ponies tended to be too terrified of his presence to even want to go near him, there were always guards watching him warily, though he was seemingly harmless now. Ever since the big floating thing floated away in the sky long ago, the dragon had done little more than snooze, greet the sunrise every day with a chirping call and a mournful bugle when it set. The moon would rise and he would happily watch it, his great tail thumping upon the grounds of what used to be a part of the Royal Gardens.

Home for the better part of five weeks was confined to a patch of grass and manicured cypress trees large enough for Scarheart to pace about it and unfurl his wings to their greatest extension. The guards who did come to check on him were nervous, having never dared to come too close to those massive jaws filled with razor-sharp teeth. Pink Pony was his last playmate and he missed the little pony. Her name was the only one he could remember in his fading mind, the very one so ravaged and invaded and scrambled, he could barely remember how to speak. Understanding basic commands from his caretakers was sometimes difficult. Scarheart was essentially the mental equivalent of a six week old puppy, with half the enthusiasm.

He napped, sunned himself in the day and bathed in the light of the moon. Carts of gems were brought to him to munch on every morning, as they were in abundance and not that hard to find. They were the preferred food of dragons, but they also liked to munch on other things. This usually fell under the category of meats, which in turn made a lot of ponies squeamish at the prospect of feeding flesh to Scarheart. There had been talk of moving the dragon to the Crystal Empire and a plan had been approved. However, the importance of the project had been placed on the back burner as the war ground into a bleak drain on available resources.

Scarheart was not doing nothing in his spare time. He could be useful if motivated properly and his strength was used in the weeks since his awakening. Simple commands were taught to him and Scarheart was affixed to ropes and pulleys and helped construction crews move materials. The white pony with the Pretty Mane and Tail would visit him when she could find the time, petting him like some vast puppy, though her visits were few and far between. He found he liked the presence of the big white pretty winged thing. Sometimes there was a big dark pretty winged thing with large green eyes accompanying her who eyed him warily. Scarheart found he also liked her, though any attempt he made to nuzzle her was met with disdain. Lately, she had been a bit nicer to him, at the urging of the white one. Scarheart liked to be petted and was eager to warble his affection for a hoof scratching under his chin.

It was a simple life with simple needs.

Although he was a far cry from the sentient intelligence he once was, Scarheart still had his feral instincts and desire to hunt and protect what he considered his territory. Though he was technically a chimera, thanks to his father's manipulations, he was more dragon than he was either pony or changeling, just as Silent Wing was more pony than changeling or dragon. He knew something was happening in the world. He could feel it! There was even something nagging in the back of his shattered mind he should know exactly what was going on, but it escaped him time and time again. This left the dragon with the attention span of a goldfish when it came to such things.

However, seeing part of the castle literally explode, shaking the ground brought his head perking up from where it snoozed, turned towards the rolling ball of flame and smoke from where the Royal Apartments were located. Curious, Scarheart stared, watching a dark form dart from the flames. It became very noisy as the alarm was sounded. His sharp eyes caught the one the white feathered pony with the horn called...what was the name? Scarheart could not remember. Green Eyes! He remembered her as Green Eyes! Where was Pretty Mane and Tail? She had not shown up yet today and the precise little clock in his mind oddly functioned properly.

Green Eyes cut a pretty profile with the moon behind her. Scarheart crooned happily at seeing her.

Behind Green Eyes burst forth with a roar a snake-like dragon with green and blue stripes like a tiger, the tip of his tail a black whip. It bore a beard of crimson streaked with a single white stripe through it. Feelers like a catfish hung from his narrow muzzle. His jaws were agape in hungry anticipation, revealing hundreds of foot long serrated teeth like steak knives. No wings propelled him through the air, but he undulated his body from side to side like a crocodile. Green Eyes was a bug before the Flying Snake, as Scarheart could tell.

Sitting up, he cocked his head to one side, eyes wide and curious. What fun was this? Would they let him play? Why were there suddenly ponies everywhere? Why did they seem so upset? With his sharp eyes, Scarheart could make out angry faces. At first the thought he had done something wrong. So much anger! Was it him? Did he do something bad? He cringed, whimpering a little and trying to make his huge form look as small as possible.

Magic flared in the sky, adding to the smoke and confusion. The ponies went after the Flying Snake, who was still chasing Green Eyes.

There's something else. In the back of his mind, there's a sensation of distant pain, far away and unending. Scarheart shuffles uncomfortably, from one clawed hind leg to the other as he partially rises on his haunches, swinging his neck to and fro as he tries to seek out the source of this odd pain. It's his, yet it's not. Then there's Green Eyes landing in front of him, looking up at him with flaring eyes and yelling loudly. Scarheart didn't know what to do, his mind muddled. Whining piteously, he looks up and sees Flying Snake diving at him!

Chrysalis screamed at the cowering dragon, "You useless lizard, do something!" Covered with little wounds and bruises from horn to tail, she already was panting from the exertion of evading what had once been Ivory Buttons. Scarheart shied away from her, making a mewling sound.

Panting heavily after less than five minutes of trying to stay alive, the shape-shifter looked up and could see her opponent coming at her. He noted Scarheart and pulled up short. Bolts of magic from unicorns began to streak up at him, bouncing off his shield. The dragon's long face spread into a grin after a moment of uncertainty, his body forming loose coils beneath him. His mane and beard flowed as he shifted his massive head from side to side. Saliva dripped slowly from his mouth as he shifted his attention back to Chrysalis.

"Him? Surely you jest, former queen of the bugs," he taunted her with a hiss. Oh, he sounded just like Ivory Buttons, but his voice was vast in proportion to his size.

Pegasi dove at him with spears, others hurling javelins. The whole of the Royal Guard was assembled with more on the way. Spinning in the air suddenly, Apex unleashed a cloud of green chlorine gas upon the diving attackers. Ponies who drew too close to his spreading cone and subsequent cloud left in its wake began choking and falling from the sky. More than a few were dead before they struck the ground. The rest writhed in agony and died horrible choking deaths upon the castle grounds.

Chrysalis drew her magic to herself, concentrating as she held her breath, releasing it with an explosive breath as she summoned a wind to keep the falling cloud from enveloping her. "Flap your wings, Scarheart!" she screeched desperately, flinging her attention briefly at the huddling beast behind her.

Flap? Wings? He half unfurled them, turning to one, then the other. Yes, he could do that! It was easy! Those two great leathery wings of his expanded, encouraged by Green Eyes with her urgent voice. Slowly at first, he started pumping his wing muscles with Green Eyes telling him to flap faster and pointing at the green cloud falling towards him.

"Blow it away, Scar!" she cajoled, offering the half-witted dragon a winning smile. "Blow the nasty green cloud away! That's a good boy!" Chrysalis hated talking to the dragon like he was a newborn, but as with her past encounters with the witless beast, simple words and a soothing tone seemed to coerce the best reactions from him, if any at all.

It was like trying to command a stubborn dog.

As he did so, Chrysalis called out to her guards, using her telepathy to warn them she was in danger. She had used it earlier, but they were slow in coming. Why? There! Just as she wondered what was taking them, half a dozen landed behind her, staring up at the dragon and waiting calmly for their queen to command.

"What took you so long?" she demanded angrily, turning on the nearest one.

He did not flinch. "My Queen, Canterlot is under attack!"

It would happen at night. Chrysalis never took her eyes off the snake dragon hovering a few hundred feet in the air and in front of her. He had grown wary, watching with interest as more and more changeling soldiers gathered to their queen. A sort of three dimensional phalanx was beginning to form beneath the droning of several dozen sets of wings.

"How?" Chrysalis demanded, her magic jerking the changeling's face up to her. Emerald fire blazed. Spittle flew into the poor soldier's face from her outburst.

"Mass teleportation, my Queen!" he declared hoarsely. "Their numbers increase by the moment!"

Chrysalis was stunned. The amount of magic and concentration to move an entire army was inconceivable to her.

Scarheart was happily using his wings to knock away the green stuff with the gusts created by his wing beats. Apex grinned as his coils looped around and around in eager anticipation. He hovered where he was, swaying back and forth as his neck formed a graceful S curve.

"Ah, looks like you're in time to see the fall of Equestria," Apex noted with a great sigh of satisfaction. "I will offer you this one chance to surrender, Chrysalis. Father has no interest if you live or die. Perhaps he would even allow you to be reunited with your precious daughter. Would you like that?"

Behind him appeared two massive shapes - dragons - as well as two smaller forms roughly the size of the Queen. They were high behind Apex, the largest bearing the singular crimson eye glowing like a gate to Tartarus.

Scarheart quailed upon seeing the familiar form. He recognized his father. The beating wings stopped abruptly.

Flamespyre had come. With him was a female white dragon as well as a pair of what appeared to be changeling queens. Chrysalis did not recognize the shape-shifters, but the eyes of the ghostly dragon were unmistakably those of Draccaria, the thief.

"You!" she shrieked, focusing her attention on the daughter of the Dragonking.

"Ah," crowed Draccaria with porcelain grin, "the fallen queen. So nice to see you up and about. Myzanum sends his regards."

Scarheart shivered, whimpering like a beaten puppy and shuffling behind Chrysalis. Flamespyre gave him an open look of contempt, sneering as he shifted his attention to Chrysalis. "Blood Assault must be battling Celestia. Bloodsong shall assist him if she is not already there. Two of my children should be enough to stop the sun, don't you think my daughter?"

The two peculiar queens regarded Chrysalis with great interest, sharing identical smug expressions, stances. They mimicked each other perfectly. Twins. Only three other times in changeling history could Chrysalis recall hearing of such a thing. Two minds sharing a combined pool of magic, one thought, always in council with each other. Such a combination had the potential to be lethal. Or heavily flawed.

"Stand down, Chrysalis," demanded Flamespyre amiably as she seethed, her shocked expression going from one dragon to the next, then to the pair of queens.

"We are curious to know what became of our Wraith," called out the two queens in unison. "She should have easily dispatched you. We are disappointed she has not moved against you."

The Queen turned to the two as they drew near, passing Apex upon buzzing wings. They appeared unconcerned with the three dozen elites before them, taking a moment instead to look at the cowering red dragon with interest before settling their two sets of bronze eyes upon their counterpart. Apex grinned at them, admiring their exotic forms and how they swayed as one being. The dragon slinked into the sky, his coils relaxing, stretching like ribbons on the wind.

His sister gave him a look of disgust as his lusty sigh for the queens reached her sensitive ears. Flamespyre smirked.

"Nice to be free of such small forms," Apex told his sister.

She snorted, spitting a small gout of flame in his direction. "Do not lust after that which is not yours, brother."

"Just window shopping, Draki."

"Don't call me that!"

"Enough, you two," Flamespyre growled irritably. Topaz changelings swarmed by the hundreds around him, a fraction of the invasion force. To them, he commanded, "Go with your queens. Subdue the Emeralds. Kill them if they resist."

Eager to protect Chrysalis, her soldiers fell back in a defensive position around her. Each one spouted griffon claws on their right hooves, gleaming with mechanical patience in the light of the moon. Grim determination clouded each of them. To fight to the death in protection of their Queen was what they had trained for their whole young lives. Not one was over the age of seventeen. The youngest was fifteen.

Yet they were not afraid to die. They were already blooded in battle, had seen their brothers fall. They could not afford to be afraid. Their new home was falling. Their Queen needed them.

Chrysalis was in a dilemma. If she fell, what was to become of those who had enough faith in her to follow her steps into Equestria? What good would it serve to give them the false hope by dying even as the Alicorns' rule came to an end? What of her daughter? She was still dealing with the loss of Silent Wing. Chrysalis trembled, her resolve beginning to crumble. Three dragons loomed before her. Thousands of changelings bore down upon her. Two changeling queens watched her warily.

She focused on them.

"Wraith?" she asked, summoning her bravado. "Was that the name of your assassin?"

Two weeks ago her elites discovered a white twisted changeling in the guise of a chambermaid. There had been a terrible fight in the servant quarters. The twisted thing had killed three of Silent Wing's soldiers before succumbing to the relentless attacks of the younger, swifter warriors. She had never gotten within a hundred yards of Chrysalis.

"I thought its smell was familiar." Chrysalis smirked and shrugged. Why were the dragons holding back?

Tappis and Tappaz wore neutral visages, their eyes flickering with no trace of emotion as they ruminated on this news. They called to Wraith, heard nothing. Seconds passed. Still nothing. Both sisters sighed, flames igniting within their harlequin orbs.

"Lies do not become you, Chrysalis," they said with a hiss. They landed a short distance away from the Emerald Queen, no longer paying heed to the dragon huddling still behind Chrysalis.

The changeling queen flicked an ear back. "My children are very good at what they do. Sniffing out other shape-shifters is a specialty." She was already envisioning the deaths of the young warriors behind her. They weren't even adults! She could not bear to send them against odds such as this.

The whimpering dragon behind her wasn't helping things any.

"Ah, so Wraith has failed us," Tappis sighed with great disappointment.

"Perhaps it was a mercy she fell at last. Such a twisted, poor thing."

"Too old."

"Too frail."

They spoke to each other, sharing a gaze, muzzles less than an inch from each other before they again focused upon Chrysalis. By now, their own Topaz Changelings were landing around them, taking formation and leveling spears at the much smaller force.

"Shall we let them play?" Flamespyre mused to Apex and Draccaria. "Go see to the battle, my children. I want the castle secured by sunrise. I want the city in my claws within twenty-four hours. Go."

Draccaria glared, flashing a concerned look at her two queens. Well, they were technically under the watchful eye of Blood Assault, but in the sparse meetings she had with the young queens, she felt they shared her thoughts on a great many things. They were clever, oh so very clever! She was surprised to see them leave the confines of their comfort. Perhaps their own curiosity had led them to follow the invasion force.

"Father, you cannot possibly expect them to stand up to her!"

"Think of it as a rite of passage." Apex slid past his father as the one-eyed dragon reprimanded his daughter. "If they are to be a part of the future, then they must first be able to defeat the past."

Chrysalis flinched as his words fell upon her ears, glaring at Flamespyre with seething hatred.

Draccaria lingered for a moment longer, masking her worry with a snarl and departing with powerful strokes of her wings. A swarm of Topaz warriors trailed after her in loose formation as they headed towards the sounds of heavy fighting to the south.

"My Queen?" one of Chrysalis' elites queried, awaiting her command.

She turned her head to him, seeing the hardened young veteran ready to do her bidding. She closed her eyes for a moment before casting them over the rest of her small force. Offering a smile, Chrysalis said, "I want all of you to go to Our people. Guard them. Protect them. Lead them into the Everfree. Go!" Her eyes flared emeralds in her insistance.

He nodded slowly and hissed her orders at the others. They zipped away, darting skyward and into the night, their forms shimmering to match the sky. More than a few cast one last look at their queen, their worry evident.

Scarheart rumbled behind her, his snout hovering as he crept closer to her. The simple-minded beast wuffed at her, a mix of fear and confusion. Chrysalis ignored him, her attention squarely upon the Topaz Queens.

Above her came an aerial battle as two dozen changelings engaged half a dozen of Luna's Night Guard. Magic blazed through the starry night sky between the two groups. More than a few bodies fell from the sky from both sides. Flamespyre noted this with keen interest, a spectator enjoying a gladiatorial match in a very open stage. With his attention fixed on the fighting, Chrysalis made her move.

Quietly she had building up her spell, to teleport to some place of advantage, to get a way, to reassess. Canterlot was under siege and spectacularly so. When she released the spell, her triumphant grin was wan, hollow. Her subjects needed her and she abandoned all pretense of defending her allies. Her concerns were of her kind and their well-being. Equestria needed Celestia, not some changeling queen who had tried conquering these very lands a decade and a half in the past.

Tappis and Tappaz watched her wink from her spot, leaving behind green fire and smoke. It was a flourish, they noted, unnecessary to teleporting, but every spell caster always had their own signature when they released their magic. Chrysalis appeared to naturally be inclined towards black smoke and green fire. However, the pair had a lock on their opponent, focusing on her aura. Flamespyre prodded them to pursue with a warning growl.

They did so, fearing the outcome in the battle to come.

"No guards, my dears. Prove you belong," his voice fell upon their ears ominously.

Those were the last words they heard before their own magic pulled them after the departed Chrysalis. As one, they gave chase, disappearing as their soldiers stood firm, leaving them staring at Scarheart.

He mewled at them piteously.

Chrysalis remembered the assassin. Rather, she remembered beholding the corpse as her guard brought her to it. The white, twisted thing at her hooves found in one of the quarters. The white changeling had some sort of seizure, exposing herself from the form of the maid she had replaced. The battle following had been ferocious, awakening all of Canterlot Castle as guards swarmed. Five Emerald changelings fell at the white creature's merciless desperation.

Celestia had been quiet, staring mutely at the corpses as Chrysalis inwardly mourned her fallen children. No, she did not give birth to them, but all changeling queens had a motherly instincts towards changelings near them. It was a holdover from the past, before Flamespyre altered their genetics, turning them into something more than just a hive. The creature lying in the pool of its own blood had a twisted grin in its fanged mouth. The two matriarchs left the guards and staff to cleaning up the mess, but not after Chrysalis took a moment to give each of her fallen one last nuzzle of thanks.

Thought to be callous by those who did not understand changelings, the Queen loved her people. It felt wrong for her to express her love after the life had been torn from the body, but the love she felt from them meant the world to her. It was her way of appreciating their sacrifice, by bestowing upon them a mother's kiss of farewell. This simple gesture earned more respect from those who had trained with Silent Wing.

Her chosen location was the peak of the mountain against which Canterlot was nestled into. Snow was already capping the peak in the early autumn night air. Up here, the wind was cold and harsh, foretelling the winter to come. The city far below was shrouded by the night, yet flashes of magic here and there as the battle raged fiercely told her the ponies were not about to give up. Landing on an icy outcropping of granite, Chrysalis believed she would not be alone for long. Behind her the mountain peak sloped slightly, offering a relatively flat plane with a slight planing before giving way to a thousand feet of angled cliff face. It was the backside of Canterlot Mountain. The absolute top of the mountain was a lump of broken stone, chiseled by erosion into a series of sharp angles. There was no vegetation. The snow seemed a pale blue under the watchful gaze of the moon and made the exposed rock appear darker.

Chrysalis looked down, watching, waiting, sensing for the inevitable. If she felt the cold, she did not show it either from within or without. She had sensed something upon the pair, something of hers. The scent had been unmistakable, once Scarheart had stopped flapping his wings. They had settled upon her nostrils, tickling her and igniting a fire within her the earlier sense of profound loss had nearly extinguished.

She had suspected before, in the courtyard moments ago. Why was the scent of that most dear to her upon them? Why did those two queens carry the faint aura of her rightful property? Seething anger was beginning to broil within her heart as it began to occur in her mind the most unthinkable violation had been happening. Why was her daughter's emotions drifting from those two living carcasses? It was like the evaporation of unseen steam only a changeling mother would know should she have the senses keen enough to pick them up. Only a Queen of her power could define it, digest it, identify it. Chrysalis felt the surge of magic behind her, the sound of hooves crunching in the hardened snow. The wind picked up for a moment, swathing her head and neck in the wild tangles of her spiderweb mane. The Queen closed her eyes, falling within herself as she kept her ears focused on the silent queens behind her.

* * *

Flamespyre felt something immense begin to build at the top of the mountain, taking his attention from the fighting. With great interest he could feel the magic building, his dark form lifting lazily to see what would transpire. The evil grin on his face conveyed upon the memory of the warning he had given weeks ago to the two young, stupid queens.

He simply had to see how this would play out.

In an off-hand gesture, his magic took hold of Scarheart and hauled the suddenly panicking young dragon after him, using a second spell to silence the yowling cries of fear coming from his mindless son.

* * *

"You decided to follow me, have you?" Chrysalis spoke in a voice that was cordial, even friendly, yet through a wicked half smile. Half turning her head over a shoulder, one eye gleamed in the moonlight at the two silent Topaz monarchs who were not expecting the calm form of an unmoving Emerald queen not bothering to face them. "To face me? Alone? Upon the peak of the world?"

Tappis and Tappaz looked at each other, sharing their own thoughts and wondering if Chrysalis was mad. Their magic was charged, ready to strike, yet seeing the back of the most powerful changeling in the world presented to them was far more unnerving than facing her head-on. One nodded to the other. The second one conceded in kind. The split apart, spreading out to either side of Chrysalis for as much as the top of the mountain allowed them. Both Topaz queens lowered their heads, narrowing their eyes to expectant slits. Chrysalis for the moment held the high ground. She did nothing to exploit her advantage.

The three changelings felt each other's emotions, feeling rage, anger, fear, wariness. They could mask them as well, but there was no real point now. The wind picked up again, howling into ears pressed flat to their sides. Unused to the cold, Tappis and Tappaz shivered, not at all liking the feel of ice around their hooves. Chrysalis turned at last to face them, slowly, with slitted eyes and curled lip. The entire length of her crooked horn glowed.

"Your allies are fallen," Tappis began, with her sister finishing with, "There is nothing left for you now." Both smiled as if one being controlled both bodies. "Defeat is inevitable."

"You fed upon my daughter!" screamed Chrysalis in a frightening voice, shrieking at the two shape-shifters with open spite. "You filthy love whores! Your deaths are assured. Your fate is mine to decide and I choose to leave your corpses scattered in pieces upon this very mountain!"

Her magic thundered to life, flinging loose bits of stone and shards of ice from her form. An enormous bolt of energy formed at the tip of her horn, splitting into two green beams. With another shriek of rage, Chrysalis unleashed it, sending her bolts at the two Topaz Queens.

Not believing a changeling could have such magic at her disposal, the two none the less sprang from the attack, using their own magic to deflect the powerful assault. There was no way they could stop such magic directly. Tappis responded, diving to the left and returning fire with her own magic at the unmoving Chrysalis. Tappaz zipped straight up into the air, hissing as fury overcame her fear. She responded in kind, firing away with her own magic.

The missiles dove in true to their intended target. Chrysalis growled and swatted them away with a flickering shield of green magic. Seizing the Topaz queen hovering in the air, she had to battle her will and magic. Sheer rage overcame what should have been a formidable defense, a mother attacking one of those responsible for feeding off her daughter. A surge of fear washed over Tappaz as she felt Chrysalis defeat her defenses through brute magical force, a slow and steady squeezing of her body making her squeal in pain.

"Sister!" Tappis cried, rising to her hooves and feeling Tappaz's pain. Desperately, she charged at Chrysalis, sending rapid bolts of magic at the enraged Emerald queen.

Flamespyre arrived, lighting easily upon the slap of stone jutting into the night sky. Scarheart was unceremoniously plunked into the snow at the far end of the peak, away from the battle. The dumb dragon blinked at the battle, shifting uncomfortably as he was not allowed to take flight and fly away. Seeing one of his queens in trouble, Flamespyre's claws crushed stone beneath them as he glowered his one eye, following the path of magic to Chrysalis. She seemed to have not noticed his arrival, focused on her two opponents. Even now, she released Tappaz, facing Tappis with a scream.

The two locked horns, foreheads touching, emerald eyes blazing into the topaz orbs. Chrysalis was the larger of the two and enjoyed an advantage in strength. With her magic, she grabbed her enemy by the scruff of the neck, lifted and hurled. Tappis sailed through the air as another magical blow like a hammer slammed into her chest, accelerating the arc her flailing body described through the air. With a thump and a crack, her spine slammed into flat rock and the Topaz changeling cried out. She spied her master and pleaded to him wordlessly, unable to speak as she fought for breath.

"I told you not to feed upon the child," Flamespyre rumbled with a shake of his head. "You must learn, my young queen, what it is like to face the consequences of your actions to the whim of a creature mightier than you." He snorted, producing a small metallic ball to hover before him. Shifting his gaze between it and the angry Queen Chrysalis, a small smile appeared upon his scaly lips, his fangs beginning to gleam in the moonlight.

A mental message filled his thoughts, respectful and with news. It worked. She is in custody now, Father.

"Good. Good!" Flamespyre chortled with an evil glint in his eye. Bring her to me.

As you wish, Father.

Another general call went out to his children. It was time to end the game.

Tappaz, meanwhile was now facing the full brunt of the anger of the fallen Emerald queen. She had heard of her power, learned of the defeat of the Diamond Queen at the hooves of this sorceress. The hubris in her own power and the power she shared with her sister was laid bare in humiliation now, even as she could feel her sister's cries of pain not only with her ears, but within the mind they shared. They had believed the love they drew from the children would have and should have been enough to overcome Chrysalis. The Dragonking had even tasked them with bringing the queen to heel.

Flamespyre's commands always came with an asterisk, so to speak. The order in itself was simple, but the target in question was far from it. Both knew this was a punishment for disobeying him, to face the mother of the princess upon which they had fed upon. The harshest part of the lesson was realizing it after having their collective plots kicked all over the pinnacle of Equestria.

She expended a great deal of her magic pool within her already in simply trying to deflect the enraged assaults of the emotionally charged Chrysalis. Her eyes were blazing emeralds as she bored down upon Tappis. Despite her berserker appearance, the Queen was quite collected, if not overly focused upon her target. The deadly intent she bore were poison daggers, boring into the very soul of the opposing queen she now stalked. With her head low to the ground, Tappaz watched as Chrysalis curled her lip, baring her fangs as her breath came out slowly, frosting in the wind and carrying with it the low growl of a predator. Her wings buzzed in anticipation and Tappis knew she could not win this fight. Her mind already reeled from the pain her sister suffered, their single mind muddled and confused with one concussed and fighting cobwebs.

Around the two combatants, dark forms appeared upon great leathery wings, save one. They ringed the two queens in silence, the only sounds above the winds were wing beats and the pulsing release of magic as teleportations were completed.

The Brood of the Dragonking gathered, spectators to a one-sided battle. Each one landed around the fringes of the peak, finding purchase where purchase could be found. Blazing dragon eyes fell upon Chrysalis stalking the now cowering Tappis, each one aware of why this event unfolded before their eyes. One of the children of Flamespyre carried in his claws a feebly moving white form, of feathers and fur and pale pink mane. It was covered with fresh blood, yet was carried gently. Blood Assault flickered a questioning look at his father, the massive black dragon deferring to his sire for further instruction.

Flamespyre smirked, nodding at Chrysalis as he produced from seemingly thin air the same sort of silvery sphere he had shown Twilight Sparkle. He considered it for a moment, then shifted his eye towards the sound of a gurgling shriek. Tappis was being magically manipulated, trying to shriek through a windpipe being closed by a squeezing green aura around her throat.

Chrysalis drew her close, pulling Tappis to within inches of her own face and studied her with hate-filled eyes. "You fed upon my baby."

"P-p-please!" Tappis gurgled, her hooves thrashing in the snow as she struggled with all her being to break the magic hold upon her. It was a futile effort. She saw her own death in the larger, darker queen's eyes.

"SILENCE!" Chrysalis hurled Tappis away with disgust, tossing her head and slowly following after the tumbling form rolling across the hardened snow pack.

The Topaz queen came to a stop on her side, not far from her cowering sister. She herself whimpered, finally understanding the depth of the consequences of feeding on another queen's offspring. They had even known such an action was folly, yet their greed overcame common sense. Their disrespect of a changeling they did not know and had only scant information on was now a living nightmare. Struggling for air was a challenge, fear now a constant. Tappis felt her nose was warm and wet, gingerly wiping it with a hoof and seeing the blood. Her body was sore from the abuse and she gasped.

"Forgive!" she cried, struggling as she bowed to the approaching Chrysalis. "Master!" she howled to Flamespyre.

The Dragonking snorted, taking a moment to observe the slow pace of Chrysalis. For the first time, she noticed him, it seemed and threw a glare of pure hate at his eye. Asserting his mind, he reached into hers...

...and found a wall. His one eye opened wide in annoyance and she grinned at him in open defiance. "You dare?" he asked, tilting his head to one side, the metallic ball twirling in the air next to him. Chrysalis stared at him, her brows knitted, eyes narrowing to slits as she bared her fangs at him.

No, there was something else about her that was different. It had been fifteen years. Before, her mind - as powerful as it was - could be invaded because of what she was, a descendant of one of his creations; a slave to command at whim. Yet, here she was, defying him much as Silent Wing defied him in the past three other times. Here, the influence was the same, that which had prevented him from gaining control.

"Fascinating." Flamespyre was neither upset at this development. His curiosity overrode the irritation and he slid down from his perch like an enormous cat, his belly passing over the huddled form of Tappaz. Claws crunched in the snow, pulling him to a position of towering over Chrysalis and next to Tappis before he sat on his haunches. "I had long thought she had passed on. Yet she somehow managed to shield your mind from me."

He spoke at Chrysalis, but not to her. With a claw, he reached out and scooped up Tappis, pulling his favorite queen to his belly and between his forelegs. With telekinesis, he did the same with her sister, lifting her with great care and pulling her next to her sister. There, they huddled together, whispering their thanks. Each one wrapped their hooves around a foreleg and stared at Chrysalis with unreadable expressions.

"Oblivion," he spoke the word like the sounding of a bell. The metallic sphere flared to life, blinking once a brilliant red before throbbing to a dull pulsing as it hovered where he left it.

Chrysalis felt her magic suddenly drop, her glowing horn not even fizzling. It simply winked out, leaving her feeling very vulnerable. Startled, she drew back, staring at Flamespyre. "What did you do?" she cried in confusion, shaking her head and staring down at herself. Again and again she tried to summon her reserve of magic. She felt nothing, as if it had never existed. "What did you do!?"

Flamespyre simply raised a claw and brought it down upon her, pinning her to the ground. The startled mare gasped and let out a shriek as she thought her death was coming. The Dragonking nodded to Blood Assault. His son approached, the figure in his claws still having ceased struggling and was now watching what was happening. Not too gently, he placed her next to Chrysalis and stepped back.

Draccaria, having been silent like her other brothers, remained still, though her eyes never left her father. They glowed with a seething hate, unseen but not unnoticed.

"Your sphere worked well," commented Flamespyre to Blood Assault.

"She still tried to fight me," shrugged his massive son with a rumble. It might have been admiration in his words, yet the curled lip banished the thought from Chrysalis as she stared at the white form next to her.

The wounds were bad, but not life-threatening. Her breathing came in ragged gasps, labored. Perhaps there were broken ribs? Chrysalis was not sure. She was in shock at seeing the figure, one she knew well enough to know battling her would be a fool's errand. Yet there she was, next to her, matching her gaze with bleary confusion. One eye was nearly swollen shut. Their eyes met and the white mare shuddered, not having the strength to rise. She did not know what had happened and both monarchs knew they lost everything.

Chrysalis also understood one thing; Celestia no longer had access to magic. Her...friend? lay there, panting, regarding her with loss in those magenta eyes.

"Kill them now?" asked Apex professionally, coiling himself into a ball against the icy claws in the wind. "Or do you have something else planned for them, Father?"

"I'm sorry," Celestia mouthed to Chrysalis.

"So am I," returned the shape-shifter with an apologetic smile.

The Dragonking actually considered it as he removed his claw from pinioning down Chrysalis, settling back as he used the back curve of a claw to stroke one of his queens thoughtfully. First, he focused on Celestia, his red eye narrowing.

"Public execution for you, my dear," he said with a smile and a nod. "Messy. To the point. Sending the right message I wish to convey."

Celestia glowered at him, unafraid. "Don't harm my ponies," she said.

"What are you going to do?" snorted Apex. "Bleed on him?"

Flamespyre held his snake-like son with a raised claw, his eye boring into the Alicorn's, having never lost contact. The two Immortals stared at each other for long moments. "Be a bit more respectful, my son. She did give her all?" The question was tossed at Blood Assault.

"She did."

"Then she shall face death with regal pride." Flamespyre shifted his attention to Chrysalis. She still lay where he had planted her. "As for you..."

The fallen Queen hissed at him.

The tip of his tail snaked through the air and casually slapped Chrysalis in the left shoulder and side, sending her sideways with a cry into the snow and almost right up against Celestia. The battered Alicorn was able to right herself long enough to catch the skidding changeling.

"You will spend your days in darkness, never knowing the fate of your daughter." Flamespyre drew himself up high, glaring down upon her like a god made displeased by a sacrifice. His voice thundered, "She has placed her touch upon you. She has corrupted the one queen I had hoped ruthless enough for my needs. This makes you unsalvageable, Chrysalis. Useless to me. However, as I am a kind master, I shall let you keep your life."

Who was this 'she' he mentioned? Chrysalis wondered as she wheezed, staring through the spots in her eyes at the towering monster. "You intended to kill me," she managed. "Your lies are as unimpressive as that empty socket in your head, beast." Chrysalis spat and was not surprised to see flecks of blood spray on the churned snow before her.

A dull red form burst into Flamespyre's line of sight, wedging itself squarely between the two mares and the monster with his shivering queens. Red wings tipped with black flared, fully obscuring the view. The black dragon arched his one eye in surprise, not at all expecting this development. His brood stared at the smaller form trying to protect Celestia and Chrysalis, a whining growl issuing from a swelled throat.

Scarheart splayed his talons in the snow, digging in as he glared fearfully at his father, terrified, yet knowing something Bad was Going to Happen to Green Eyes and Pretty Mane and Tail. He liked them and wanted to help, but he didn't know how. Instincts took over and he suddenly found himself under the wrath of Dark Father, as he knew this dragon to be.

Draccaria hid her shock well through clenched teeth and raking her claws deep into the stone, leaving long gouges. It was true she hated Scarheart, but hers was a sibling rivalry as he had always been the closest to her age. She hated Flamespyre far more and truly hated her father for what his manipulations had done to the shadow of the intelligent dragon she had harbored grudging respect for. Mutely she looked on, as did her brothers. Scarheart had always been the smallest of them, Silent Wing notwithstanding. The two were the same and Father was in no rush to make them whole again.

Flamespyre was not amused.

"Move or be moved, whelp," he snarled, rearing back a claw to swipe at the smaller dragon before him. Tappis and Tappaz took an unspoken command to move out from under their master, shuffling away quickly as they stumbled through the snow on shaky hooves.

Scarheart dug in his claws and arched his back, curving his neck in a 'U' as he glared up at his father. A smokey hiss escaped his mouth and nostrils, splaying his legs out for balance. Carefully, he backed up until the bulk of his chest hovered over Celestia and Chrysalis. In defiance of the mighty Dragonking, he slammed his tail repeatedly against the frozen ground, sending blocks of ice and snow flying everywhere. The mind-blasted dragon roared angrily, tears forming in his eyes.

Chrysalis felt something from Scarheart. It was vaguely familiar, something she knew well, yet could not quite put her hoof on him. She chanced a wondering glance at Celestia, who was as equally perplexed by this display. The princess gave no indication she knew what Chrysalis was sensing. It dawned on her in her recent studies in regards to Flamespyre and his children changeling blood intermingled with these dragons, who were in actuality chimeras. All of them. The children of the Dragonking were not true dragons. They were dragonlings, chimeras shaped and formed to appear as dragons, but with the blood of several different species. They had been carefully selected, experimented with to find a combination to follow their father without question, to obey, to be the perfect children.

With Scarheart, she sensed her adopted son within him. It was not actually him, she realized, but being in this close a proximity to Scarheart's body allowed for him to clearly feel his emotions. Each individual has their own personal flow to their emotions. They were like markings; no two were ever the same. Here, she could feel a familiar pattern, though far more subdued, as if it was but a part of the whole. Right now, at this moment in her life, she felt from Scarheart fear, hate, concern, anger, and...love.

It was directed at both herself and Celestia, almost as though he viewed the two mares as his...

"Silent Wing?" she whispered. Celestia heard her, turning an ear first towards her before her gaze followed. A weak smile formed on the lips of the Princess of the Sun.

Impossible!

No, Scarheart was not Silent Wing, yet...

The stance of the dragon, his defiance towards a larger and more powerful opponent. The way he carried himself, unable to hide his emotions. The concern, the swelling determination, the exact same desire to protect.

Tears welled up in the changeling queen's eyes. She blinked, reaching up with a shaky hoof to touch the plated chest of Scarheart. It wasn't her baby, yet Scarheart embodied Silent Wing, an extension. Yet he was also his own creature, though his mind was long gone, leaving behind a creature run by sheer instinct.

"They are one and the same, divided. Two parts of a whole," Celestia managed, shifting her eyes towards Flamespyre. "He hesitates," she noted, then winced in pain with a ragged gasp.

"Last warning, child," Flamespyre whispered in a terrible voice like the onset of a winter long blizzard.

Scarheart shrieked at him, with rage, in defiance.

Scarheart charged at the Dragonking.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

**Dalesong**

The Council of Queens consisted of a collection of matriarchs from well over two dozen tribes (as opposed to houses in the more 'civil' changeling kingdoms). No two bore the same color, though a light green seemed prevalent on their carapaces and chitin. They came in all sizes; big and small, fat and skinny. Some were young, others seemingly as ancient as the scattered stones of the desert. Luna left Silent Wing in the care of the camels, safely contained within his tent and the grouchy doctor who watched over him. Old Mother Moonstar had warned Luna of the particular ways of the Jade Changelings, essentially echoing what Silent's doctor already enlightened her feeble knowledge on them. It was like going into a den of vipers; if she moved the wrong way, any one of the matriarchs might take offense and become hostile. She could not make promises she could not keep and she absolutely, positively could not choose sides.

Luna wished she had her sister's patience for diplomacy at that moment. She was not one for negotiations, where as Celestia was a political animal. Luna's focus as a ruler was more towards enforcing the policies her sister worked hard to wheedle from the ambassadors from other nations. The country's security was her interest.

There were thousands of changelings hovering over and around the oasis. The din of buzzing wings hummed constantly as loose groups droned about at verying heights in the clear blue sky. If they felt the heat of the sun, they gave no indication. Their light green carapaces gleamed in the desert sun as they patrolled outwards, maintaining a wary look out for the hated Topaz. The word sent out by Tseng Tzu had ushered this gathering and in a span of less than twelve hours since the camels arrived, the first changeling scouting party came. Within three more hours, the mass of pseudo ponies arrived like a sandstorm from almost every direction imaginable. There was order in the seeming chaos as the best spots near the water were reserved for the most powerful 'sheikas', as the Jade matriarchs were known as.

On the northern shore of the oasis were ringed with the great tents of the most powerful house mothers. Luna noted they always had a certain squint to their solid eyes, glowing with a myriad of colors from white to blue to a deep crimson. A few of them wore loose fitting tabards, bearing odd symbols and markings the Alicorn would not understand. Their warriors were easily distinguished by the pattern of scars on their muzzles. They chatted with each other around small cooking fires as she worked her way from her tent to a cluster of large changelings gathered at a round table set in a clearing at the center of the tents. Several poles had been erected with thin blue cotton sheets shielding the sun's harsh glare from the changelings gathered at the table. Upon the table was a spread of foods sparsely among clay pitchers of water.

She noted passively the eyes upon her, reminding herself to keep her head held high and to show no weakness. Silent had coached her as best he could when he had the strength.

"Remember," he had told her before she departed to greet the Jade Changelings, "look them in the eye when you speak. Be at their level."

She smiled at the memory as her hooves crunched through the hard sand. "Mind yourself, prince," Luna had told him tartly, "I know how to act regal in the presence of others. I rather think I excel at that, thank you."

Behind her some camels watched as she approached a pair of changeling guards.

"You must be the mare," said one, not disrespectful. He blinked up at her, offering a smile. "Mother will be pleased to meet a pony. You're the first one I've seen, _S'atkah_."

His partner nodded vigorously, offering a goofy grin. Luna tried not to stare at him as he had an expression suggesting he was not completely there. His ears flopped forward and back as his head bobbed up and down. The spiny crest flared as a happy chirp greeted the princess.

"He's harmless, _S'atkah_," the first changeling said to her apologetically.

Luna blinked, lowering her muzzle at him curiously. "Might I ask what the meaning of _S'atkah_ means?"

"It is an old word from the old days," he said politely, offering a shy bow. "It means 'Glory of the Night'."

"It's a lovely compliment," Luna said with a slight blush.

"How is the _T'aszham_?" he pressed carefully, dipping his head and tilting to one side.

Again, Luna found the odd word confusing. "I beg your pardon? _T'aszham_?"

The guard flinched. "My apologies, _S'atkah_. _T'aszham_ is another of our old words. It means 'Lost Son'." He backed up a step and motioned her through with a sweeping bow. His companion mimicked his actions badly, but still wore his smile.

Taking a moment to sweep the matriarchs before her, she noted they had all taken note of her arrival and stared at her with impassive stares. They took measure of the Alicorn, some speaking to each other quietly. A few buzzed their wings restlessly. Each of them swiveled their ears at the princess as she approached the only open spot before her at the table. Taking a deep breath and mentally clearing her mind, Luna stepped boldly into the viper's den, assuming her most regal appearance.

Silent Wing's fading life depended on aid from the gathered changelings.

* * *

He slept, feeling surges through his body, beyond the dull pain and throbbing. The thumps felt like faraway echoes, distant peals of thunder. Oblivion watched him in silence, grinning and grimacing. The living shadow crackled in his form, the dream constantly shifting with restless abandon. Nothing could settle and the unstoppable march towards the Last Moment pressed on. Silent Wing observed his slow decline to death from within his mind with fiery denial, refusing to believe his battered body was slowly losing all functions as he slept.

Oblivion shifted, still atop his pile of bones as the gray skies boiled like a writhing mass of snakes, the flash of lighting their tongues licking the scorched and pitted earth. The storm was intense, as great as Silent had ever remembered, the clouds seemingly drawing nearer and neared to the ground every time he took a moment to pay attention. This was disconcerting, but what could the colt do? What could Silent Wing offer to stem the tide of the inevitable? He was dying and his dream played out the process of how it was happening.

His tree was still there, still whole. Before him lay the bone bath to that bone hill in the middle of a once pristine lake. Oblivion looked at him, waiting, expectant. The weapon flickered in his dark form. Silent wondered idly why the creature chose to be black in color. It was true color was really unimportant, but the symbolism behind it bore a sinister origin. What is based on his perception of what he considered good and evil?

"Why can't you help?" he asked Oblivion when he decided to speak. His form was in quiet repose, legs folded beneath him as he lay on his belly.

_I have told you._

"I find it hard to believe."

_Be that as it may, the truth is irrefutable. You are far too incomplete for me to attempt combining with you. I shall not risk driving you insane as I drove Luna insane a thousand years ago. Nor shall I overcome the will of Luna for control of her body. The struggle within would last for an eternity and would be fruitless in the end. _Oblivion shrugged at Silent, his half slitted eyes content like a cat's.

Sighing and not at all convinced, the colt shifted his attention to the clouds. They seemed to him like the surface of an inverted cauldron, the contents bubbling and boiling. It tugged at his thoughts as he considered it with renewed interest as a thought occurred to him. In all of his dreams, the clouds had been the same. They were more intense now than he had ever remembered them in the old dreams.

He blinked, coming to his hooves, his legs strolling him out from beneath the tree. Oblivion watched him curiously, an eye twitching impassively. Other than that, he might have been nothing more than a statue, a part of the background as Silent Wing became aware of something for the first time in regards to the clouds.

_Visitor. _Oblivion sat up, tilting his snout towards the sky. He snorted derisively, as if he really did not care for who or what was coming. The thing vanished from the dream, leaving Silent Wing to peer up where Oblivion had been staring.

"What?" Silent called out to the already gone apparition. His dream shifted, darkened further if possible.

* * *

'It' was a 'she', he sensed. She probed his dream gently. At first thinking it was Luna, the colt's suddenly appearing smile faded as it felt significantly unlike her presence. Nor was the visitor inclined to fully immerse herself into his mind.

A phantasmic mist put the doctor to sleep as a visitor appeared in the form of a random female changeling with soft green eyes glowing in the gloom of the tent. She drifted quietly from the shadows, the mist her doing. Within a few gliding steps, she hovered over the covered form of Silent Wing, his head the only part of his body poking from beneath the blankets. She lowered her muzzle to his, sniffing carefully, gently.

"You have suffered greatly," her ghostly voice whispered softly into his ear, full of regret and sorrow. "I have done all that I can to protect you." It echoed like the sound of a weeping mother tormented by years of hovering in between life and death with no way to find peace.

The shadows still concealed her form, but if the observer were to lay eyes upon this changeling, they would certainly felt something amiss yet perfectly fine in her appearance. She appeared as a matriarch, yet exuded a gentle unassuming air to convince lingering gazes to think her unimportant and to seek out more interesting things to focus upon. Her mane was dark and straight, of medium length with the typical odd holes here an there through the strands. One ear was notched, the other bore a simple gold hoop half along its length. A single scar was scored diagonally across her muzzle, faint to the point of almost being unrecognizable. There was an agelessness about her, as well as the sensation of penetrating cold about her. Oddly, she had the wings of an Alicorn, matching her dark ethereal body.

"Oh, what has your father done to you?" she fretted, gently stroking the sleeping colt's cheek with the tip of a hoof. It seemed to brush through his skin. Sensing the thing within him, it fled from her presence, fearing her greatly. It was indeed an evil thing, every bit as twisted and misleading as its creator. "What is _it_ trying to do to you? What lies are planted in your mind?"

She quietly investigated the colt's injuries, pausing as her constantly swiveling ears tuned for the sounds of approaching steps to the entrance. The strange changeling did not want to be noticed, could not be seen. A great deal was risked with her exposing herself, but she had to see the colt with her own eyes. Time was short and eventually someone would notice her presence.

Observing the dying colt made her wish she could do something for him.

Such an act was forbidden. The violation could not be compounded by interfering with the events to come. Nor could she do more than she had already done. She was at the point where she could do little more than observe. There were ways around that. She knew this and hoped for the moment to exploit such a moment should it present itself to her.

The prince may or may not have been able to hear the strange changeling's voice, but she continued to speak to him. "Flamespyre has tried for so long to shape your destiny. You must establish your own and make your own path. I cannot do more for you," she conversed softly, sitting on her haunches.

Somewhere between tense and relaxed, the changeling offered an unseen smile. The subject was quickly changed as she glanced at the tent flap and pondered a few seconds in silence. The sounds outside of life and living seemed a distance away.

"This Luna seems a good fit for you," she went on, again stroking Silent Wing, this time along his hairline. It was an ethereal encounter. "I will keep you both in my thoughts." Moist eyes appeared after a moment of inward contemplation, sad regret trickling. Her lower lip trembled beneath her small fangs. Tears fell and disappeared the moment they rolled from her chin.

The tip of her crooked horn brushed his temple as she leaned in. There was a spark at the brief moment of contact. The strange changeling pulled back, her brows furrowed in a knot. Clucking her tongue she closed her eyes for a moment as she separated his emotions, seeking a certain pattern, something specific. It was but a moment before they snapped open, a smile forming. She was glad she could still read his desires, his needs.

"I see." Her gaze fell upon the circle and the candles around Silent Wing. She knew the purpose they served, but they were meant to keep out angry spirits. "This will but hold them back for one more night before they will overcome the enchantment and come for you."

There was an eerie silence as the changeling mare hovered over the colt, her form shifting in and out of focus. At times she became wispy, shifting as if a breeze kissed against her skin.

Once, she had a name. It had not been spoken in a very long time. She wanted the prince to learn it one day, to understand. First he had to survive this ordeal. There was precious little she could do to help him now beyond holding faith in the mare who now sought aid for him.

"I wonder if she is ready for her true nature now?" she mused. The mare also wondered if Silent Wing was ready for his awakening. It was surely at hand, lest he join her in between life and death.

The mysterious creature could not stay long, but she lingered for as long as she was able, looking down upon a face she never dreamed she would ever see again. With a pang of regret, she sighed wistfully wishing she could hold him just once more. Her time was up when she heard the sounds of voices approaching the tent. Luna's voice was among them. The mare had remained with the colt as much as the camels allowed her within the confines of their traditions.

The doctor snorted awake, finding Silent Wing sleeping fitfully. He felt a chill in the room and shivered. Luna pushed her way into the tent followed by a pair of changeling shaman. They were slightly smaller than she, one was very old, the other her apprentice.

All three froze as they sensed the air.

"There was a powerful spirit in here!" rasped the old changeling. Her eyes glowed two colors; red for the left and azure for the right. Her chitin was covered with swirling tattoos, patterned after the stars in the sky, white and crimson over iron gray faded with age. At some point in her past, the left ear had been shorn away. The carapace upon her back was chiseled with the four elements of nature; earth, fire, wind, and water. Around her chest and slung over her shoulder hung a string of pouches upon a leather strap. She selected one, setting on her haunches. "I must discern the nature."

"I sense sorrow," called out her apprentice. She was little more than a filly, plain in appearance for a changeling her solid green eyes wide and eager to learn. There was already a shrewdness to her personality as she felt her surroundings. A green spiral had been painted upon her bronze chest. Several large pouches dangled from her back and shoulders, each one bulging with strange and mysterious things needed by those who found the elements as their way to the old magic. It was not affected by the dead zone of the desert, as it did to the newer magic. This was primal power in its roughest form, imploring the spirits of the four elements to lend their power in the form of the crudest of magic and also some of the most powerful in existence.

The camel was confused. "What manner do you explain this intrusion?" he barked through bleary eyes he was now rubbing. How did he fall asleep?

Luna had little knowledge in dealing with the dead. She deferred to the changeling shaman, her own suspicions of the chill within the tent falling in agreement with their assessment.

"A mighty spirit was here. Very powerful. Child, fetch the Old Mother. Be quick!" The elder shaman shooed the girl out with a dismissive wave of her hoof. The young mare bowed quickly and darted out with stealthy silence.

"Spirit? Here?" The doctor rose to his padded feet. "The barrier -"

"- is useless against benevolent phantasms," interrupted the old shaman. "Or exceedingly powerful ones. Cease your cud, healer. This is beyond your ken." She glared at him with a furious snarl, squinting one eye at him.

The doctor's face went red at the insult. "My patient! Not yours! How dare you take -"

"Your cud-chewer still emits needless noise. Cease your yapping, camel-cur and let me do my calling. This is the land of the dead and only one such as I can quell them." The dismissive snort in following left Luna suppressing the urge to giggle.

"Luna?" a weak voice called out from the bed.

"Now you've gone and woken up my patient," complained the doctor irritably.

The Alicorn went to Silent. "I am here," she breathed to him gently, smiling as she nuzzled him. It took all of her might to keep her from crying at his appearance.

"I saw something," he told her.

The shaman gently pushed Luna aside, reaching out and tilting his head towards her with a hoof. "Speak to me, child. What did you see?" Her voice was gentle, seeing the condition of the young prince. Noting his odd coloration and his odd eyes, her own narrowed in speculation.

"Who are you?" Silent asked her as she held his head for him.

"I left my name to the past, child. You may call me Shaman. It is my title, my name, my purpose. For five hundred years I have offered words of wisdom to the mothers of the sands. I commune with the dead and speak to the elements. I foretell the futures of foals for mothers who dream," she offered with a growing smile. "I have also been known to ask a simple question and expecting an answer. Now tell me; what did you see?"

"Oblivion at first, in my dream," the colt said to her. "Then he went away and she showed up. She wouldn't tell me who she was." His golden eyes widened in bewilderment. "She was so sad, but smiled. It was a changeling with pony eyes." They flitted towards Luna, settling upon her as if she might know of what he spoke. "She was beautiful."

Shaman quirked an eyebrow at the mention of Oblivion, but made no mention. "A changeling with pony eyes? Such a thing is difficult to believe unless one were to observe you for but a moment." She withdrew her hoof and huffed. "I must look into your form and feel for myself the extent of your injuries. I will be using water to see within you."

"He will need a door to his magic opened so he can unleash it," supplied Luna knowingly. "I fear his body will only become damaged again if you heal him without dealing with that."

"The realm of the mystic energy is known to me," snapped Shaman not unkindly, but with irritation at the obvious. "What is this child to you, pony?" she asked suddenly. "The Council did not bother to ask when they saw you. He's just a male. They are common and not unusual."

Without batting an eye, Luna answered, "He is my Intended."

"So? Find another."

"He is the adopted son of Queen Chrysalis."

"She can bear her own sons, can she not?"

Luna tried to remain patient and calm, but Shaman was being stubborn and deliberately so. "What do you want to hear?"

"I wish to know the whole truth of this colt." Shaman shook her head. "I will not work with half truths and white lies. You have not yet lied to me, but neither have you spoken the whole sum of the truth to me."

Luna closed her eyes and exhaled softly, casting a gentle brush of her hoof through Silent's mane. He looked up at her, too weak to speak now, but he mouthed two words and offered a little smile.

"He is the son of Flamespyre."

Shaman's eyes widened. "The truth! Ah, yes the truth. Ugly as it rears its head, yet necessary. The Father of Chaos is your sire?" She lowered her ancient muzzle to Silent. He managed to flinch from her like a newborn kitten weak from hunger. "Perhaps it is best to let you die, young one."

"No!" cried Luna fiercely. "He is a good pony! He is mine!" She pushed her way in between Shaman and Silent, her eyes blazing with fury. "What right have you to declare his life to be declared forfeit?"

Just then, Shaman's apprentice appeared with Old Mother. The two old females regarded each other with respectful nods as Old Mother drew herself to hover over the weakening colt. The apprentice took up a spot across from the doctor and knelt down with watchful eyes upon her mistress. Nothing crossed her lips.

"His time draws near," Moonstar crooned to her fellow diviner of the elements. "Why speak you of death? Does this ground not bear enough loss from its past? Surely your desert mothers do not fear a mere child."

Shaman snorted, tossing her head in a wild twist, never lingering off from Silent Wing. "The spirits hunger for his soul. Do you not feel them?"

"Would you allow him to succomb to their tender mercies without a means to speak for himself?" It was Luna who spoke, surprising both shaman. "Heal him so he may have his own voice. If he must face a past he does not remember, let him do so on terms more agreeable."

Both seemed to realize exactly who she was at that moment.

"You are the Goddess of the Moon, are you not?" queried Moonstar.

"I am no goddess, but I am the Princess of the Moon," Luna confirmed tersely. They were wasting time and she was losing her patience. Her worry was turning to frustration. Didn't they see Silent was going to die? "Do not tarry in restoring my prince! Name your price, Tartarus be damned! I would gladly exchange my life for his. If that is the price, then I shall pay it!"

The air about her shimmered in her anger. Both the camel and the changeling exchanged startled looks.

"Your power must be great if you can nearly pierce the ageless barrier," murmured Shaman after a moment of shocked silence. "Perhaps you are who you say you are. Your magic is powerful indeed. Your tendered offer may be enough to stave off the spirits, if for a little while. The dead harbor a great grudge against this colt, but they are confused. One of their number stands between them. I can sense her now. Watching us. Waiting." Her eyes drifted around the tent, mostly following the cover as if expecting something to emerge from the shadows.

She considered Silent Wing once more, speculating. A hoof tapped at her bottom lip as she sat on her rump with a grunt, her joints creaking audibly.

"We must pierce his shell first before we can mend his body," she began as she motioned to her apprentice. The filly rose and immediately trotted to her side, coming around Luna from behind.

Luna shifted aside for her, noting how small and delicate the changeling child was. "What can I do to help?" she offered, glancing at Silent, then back to Shaman.

"Can you enter his dreams?"

"Yes, I did earlier."

"Good." Shaman closed her eyes for a moment, her lips moving. They flew open and turned towards Moonstar. "Earth and water?" she suggested with an arched brow.

"I was thinking along those paths, yes. I shall assume the path of earth."

"And I the water." Shaman directed her old eyes to Luna. "You shall walk the Dreamscape and find his magic and unlock it. Ware the door you open!"

Luna huffed, "I know the risks, old one. I have lived a very long time."

"But have you learned anything in that time?" countered Shaman with a smirk. "We shall see then, won't we?"

Luna decided she did not care much for the changeling and did not even consider answering. If the changelings here wished to underestimate her because she was a pony, well that was certainly their own folly. She was mere moments from erupting with her rapidly shortened temper. Her eyes were certainly showing the depths of her displeasure.

"Peace, please!" cried Old Mother with a roll of her eyes. "The colt fades even as you two bicker. Let us proceed with what needs be done."

To her apprentice, Shaman said, "Set the incense and light them in proper order and timing. Be quick!" To Luna she grunted, "Upon the lighting of the fourth burner, enter his dream and seek out his magic. Pierce it quickly! Once we feel the release of magic, then can the healing begin."

As she scrambled to obey, the young changeling began singing an odd chant quietly, her voice high-pitched as she began rummaging through a box she had brought with her. As she sang, she selected specific little silver burners in the shape of pyramids and set them around Silent Wing's bed. Luna backed away from him and watched the girl work with a great deal of fascinated interest. The filly set the first one on the ground, placing a long stick standing straight up in a hole at the summit of the little pyramid. Taking one of the candles setting around the bed, she lit it and waved a hoof over it.

Moonstar started chanting, her voice low and deep, keeping in rhythm with the filly. Shaman hovered a hoof over Silent Wing, drawing a circle over his head in the air, her lips moving, but no sound coming from her. After a few revolutions, she pulled her hoof to her mouth and spat on it. Then, she resumed the circular motion with some of her saliva falling from her hoof and upon the sleeping colt.

Her apprentice, meanwhile deftly was setting the second pyramid, lighting it as the pitch of her song shifted. Over and over she heard the same word one of the guards had used earlier.

_T'aszham_. From the sounds of the chant, it almost seemed to Luna they were telling him to prepare. The language was old, very old and completely different from what was spoken between changelings and camels out here in the desert. The local language was odd, yet familiar. This tongue in song she had heard it before in Equestria, a very long time ago when she was still a small filly. It felt to her like a lullaby. Hearing the song made her think of her own mother, making her heart skipping a heartfelt beat.

She missed her mother.

The third pyramid was set in its proper place, opposite from across Silent Wing to the first one and lit. It was then Luna noticed each trail of smoke wafting from the burning sticks of incense bore a different color; red for fire, blue for water, white for air, and the color of earth was yet to be determined. The apprentice again had shifted her song. leading Luna to believe she was calling towards the spirits of each natural element. The very tent was beginning to smell of burning cherry wood and strange flowers the Alicorn could not identify. It was soothing and pleasant, yet there was a hint beneath it all of something unpleasant, as if it was necessary.

Again, Shaman spat upon her hoof, but this time she dabbed each eyelid of Silent Wing. Then she retracted it, allowing for Moonstar to lean in with dirt to smear over the colt's eyes. They both spoke the same line over and over rapidly, their words jumping each other, almost as if it was intended, then blending together in perfect harmony. This was repeated several times. Now, both old shaman rotated a hoof and a foot over Silent Wing, their chants always including the word _T'aszham! T'aszham! T'aszham! _at the end of each verse sung.

The tent began to hum and the doctor decided it was best to make his exit, his eyes wide and full of fright.

It was then Shaman stopped chanting and stared seemingly into Luna's soul. "Tseng Tzu was a friend to all of us and my master when I was young." Her hoof continued to churn a circle over Silent Wing. "I do this out of the love I had for him and not for you. Certainly not for this...creature before me so close to death. This land is shattered because of him."

Luna nodded, staring right back. She allowed her power to show in her eyes, her wisdom, her own pain and suffering, and above all, her love.

Shaman flinched, cowed when she saw the vastness of the stars in the Alicorn's blue eyes.

"Well played, Princess," intoned Moonstar with neither malice nor humor.

"Be ready," grumped Shaman as she looked away, seeking out her apprentice as the filly set down the last pyramid. Her insectoid wings buzzed in irritation when she realized Luna had deliberately played the foal to decipher the intentions. With a short, barking laugh, she flung a congratulatory smile at the princess before settling back to a severe stare at Silent Wing.

Luna prepared to go into the Dreamscape, watching as a muddy brown smoke began to trail from the last incense burner. She watched as the smoke joined the other wafts of color hazing above the bed, swirling together slowly as the last bit of smoke joined the other three elements. A ring formed above Silent Wing. The Alicorn took in a deep breath and closed her eyes.

She entered Silent Wing's dream.

* * *

She did not expect to find a figure sheathed in white mist awaiting her in the sleeping colt's dream. The image was still in the tent, empty now save for Silent Wing, the mysterious mare with her back to Luna, and the Princess of the Night. Luna could see the ghostly figure looming over the still-sleeping prince was a changeling, a queen by the look of it. She was larger than her sister, Princess Celestia and harbored an odd presence. It was neither threatening nor frightening, but very odd indeed.

"I welcome you, Princess Luna," spoke the figure quietly, not taking her attention from the colt. "I pray Oblivion has not been bombarding your thoughts of empowerment. He can be such a bore a times."

Luna did not move, her hackles raised as she felt eerie looking at the mare. She knew what she was looking at, but had never met one before this magnificent. It was also the first time she had seen the ghost of a changeling. Seeing Silent Wing was not responding to his own dream, she became concerned, focusing on this strange presence.

"Remove your presence from this dream!" she demanded, warily gauging the ghost. "You cannot have him, spirit. I will not allow you to take him. Begone!"

The mare did turn to Luna, slowly and deliberately, waiting until the last moment to tear her eyes from the prince before flinging them at the princess. Her lips were a straight line, her round eyes settling sadly. "I am not here to hinder you, Luna."

"Who are you?" Luna took a step forward, towards the ghost.

"I am an ally," said the creature, the faint outline of her wings adjusting. "Let him rest. You and I shall pierce the bubble containing the magic. We shall talk as we go. There are certain things you must know."

Luna was not exactly trusting this complete stranger and was even alarmed somepony else was invading Silent's Dreamscape. She sensed no hostility from this being. It was certainly a ghost, a creature long dead and gone. Yet how was the spirit of a deceased mare able to place herself into form within a dream? Most ghosts were nothing more than lost souls trapped within their denial of their deaths and unable to finish their journey to the other side. No, this one had purpose and she was connected somehow to Silent Wing. A sudden dawning overcame the princess as she immediately understood once the moment of clarity occurred.

"You're his mother," she whispered.

The ghost inclined her head, offering a brief, sad smile. "I carried him in my womb, yes. I do not know if I can declare myself his mother. He should have had a happier life other than the one Flamespyre twisted into him."

Luna couldn't reply to that.

"My name is Dalesong, if that matters," offered the dead mother. "Come. Time moves and we are idle. I should like for my son to live and enjoy what life there is for him." Her tone was bitter. Luna suspected it was turned upon herself.

The tent and colt faded away and both the princess and the ghost found the dream shift around them, pulling them to a starry night sky. For as far as the eye could see, clouds towered up from beneath them, reaching for the night as they shone silver in the gleam of the moonlight. Every now and then, one of the columns of clouds would flash with lightning from within. Beneath their hooves broiled the clouds. Luna realized she was seeing the interpretation of magic from above the barren landscape. Somewhere down there was Silent Wing.

The pale image of Dalesong hovered, taking in the dream with indifference. Her focus lay on what lay beyond the clouds, towards the light of a distant star. It glowed red.

"Come, Luna. This way." Without waiting for the Alicorn to reply, she started for the star as a wall of cloud rolled in to obscure it.

Luna wordlessly followed, still trying to overcome the revelation as her mind. Dalesong appeared solid enough, but the princess could feel the lack of life from the form. The spirit slowed, allowing for her to come alongside. She noted Dalesong's wings did not buzz like a normal changeling's. A second glance revealed the feathered wings, familiar in shape and form to a certain chimera's. The faded darkness of the form she wore made it difficult to see her at times.

"You and my son are connected through Oblivion," stated Dalesong without averting her straight forward stare. Unblinking eyes were unbothered by the wind caused by the speed of their flight.

"Yes," admitted Luna.

"Most curious. Flamespyre was a fool to try and weave that power into a child. It was never meant for him, yet the fool thought he could bend anything to his will." Contempt was etched in a few key words, but Dalesong was more or less monotone.

Luna held her tongue, sensing Dalesong wanted to speak and needed to speak. They curved around a rolling thunderhead, the mass flickering as thunder rumbled ominously from within.

"Oblivion is a parasite. It grants great power by unlocking emotions and magnifying them to the particular skills of the welder. It was very correct in telling you it is but a tool. However, it only spoke a half-truth. You already have felt the touch the moment you first manifested your true form without being prepared for it." Dalesong veered back on course, both mares having finally gone around the massive storm.

"You speak of my time as Nightmare Moon," Luna's voice was flat, with a touch of curiosity. She was still uncomfortable speaking about it, especially to Tia. Her shame was great in her eyes and she thought she would never live it down in her heart.

"I do. Your full power has yet to manifest itself because you are too afraid of falling into that darkness again."

"I murdered innocents!" cried Luna. "I betrayed my sister's love! I broke her heart! I broke many hearts all because of my selfishness!"

"I know." Dalesong glanced at her with an unreadable face. Her mane began to leave an etherial trail behind her. Or was Luna noticing it just now for the first time? "Yet it is your responsibility to be your sister's equal, to maintain that balance between sisters. You both are to rule, neither holding more power than the other."

"I know this," shot Luna back. "I know these things!"

Dalesong shrugged off the Alicorn's scornful tone. "Yet you do not embrace that which is yours to grow into. You shun it because you allowed an outside entity to shatter what you had hoped to become; an equal to the Sun and the Day. Your struggle is your battle from within. Know that Oblivion has deliberately placed that seed of doubt within you long ago so he might find a purchase again upon your soul in the near future. It is his nature to twist and deceive with half truths and hidden lies."

Again, Luna fell silent. Beneath her, the sea of clouds rippled mightily, as if a wave formed from nothing as lightning danced over and through them. Thunder rolled, vibrating her very form and leaving her wondering if this was still a dream. It was growing in power, she realized, even as Silent Wing's body inexorably degenerated towards collapse. The red star was looming closer and closer. She soon came to realize it was not a star but a pulsing sphere of shimmering crimson, like a red sun. It was still bright, but seemed to dull a bit the closer the two came.

"I only got to hold him once," Dalesong sighed sadly. "After bearing him, I was able to hold him and give him as much love as I dared." Her flight slowed as she regarded her hooves before drawing them to her chest. The changeling spirit offered a wan smile to Luna. "He was adorable as a foal." Wistful regret emanated from the long-departed mother.

"You are a queen?" Luna's unexpected question made Dalesong issue forth a hollow, humorless laugh.

"I was the first Changeling Queen to survive my darling love's tender mercies in genetic engineering. His previous experiments died horribly as he tried to create the perfect mother for his ultimate designs." The spite in her voice tore the air hatefully. A broken heart was in those words, bitter and cold from a long ago but never forgotten betrayal. Dalesong lifted her chin to the skies and cried out in a vast voice, "I tried so hard to stop him! I gave my everything to make him see the path he followed was the one to ruin! I wanted a world where my son and my daughter could learn to love and protect this world."

"Do you speak of Draccaria as your daughter?"

"Indeed," admitted Dalesong with an airless sigh. The ghost seemed to become more lively as she and the Alicorn conversed. "She is tormented by my death and hates her father for slaying me. She was the last thing I saw as the life fled my body. I bade her one last thing she could do without violating the bonding magic."

"Bonding magic?" Luna pressed.

"It is a genetic bond between the monster and all of his children. He gave them powers greater than his own, but the bond he created prevents them from rising against him. Think of it as a sort of command ingrained in their mental functions, a mad scientist acting to prevent his creations from turning upon him." Dalesong smirked, "It was only partially broken upon my daughter when I spoke my last breath to her. It failed upon my son, as I had time to bond with him and seek out the automatic desire to obey. Flamespyre has spent countless centuries trying to fix something that was never broken. It became his obsession, a hollow triumph for me as it has caused for my child to be broken in half."

"Scarheart?" Luna blurted.

Dalesong nodded. "His true name, the name he gave the part he wished to keep and work upon. The name suits both halves, to be honest. It was not the name I wished to give him. I whispered it once in his ear before his father came to claim him from me," she said heavily, once again sadness overcoming her form. The ghost shimmered for a moment.

"We are here," Luna noted as they came upon the red sphere. She noted it was not large, perhaps even shrinking the closer the two came to it. The light shining from it had dimmed to a dull orange glow, washing over the Alicorn and her dead companion. When they were a scant few yards from the strange spheroid, Dalesong stopped, her wings folding against her side as though she had just landed upon solid ground. The Alicorn followed suit and found the air beneath her hooves was indeed firm, like standing upon an invisible cloud.

"I should warn you," Dalesong spoke quietly as they studied the object. "Oblivion will react in a way I cannot predict when we unleash the power."

"Will Silent Wing be able to use magic?" Luna asked curiously.

"Nothing beyond what a normal changeling can do or a pegasus. He won't be able to cast magic as he has no unicorn horn, but he'll be able to shape-shift. I think. I am not fully confident in that assessment. Anything may happen." Dalesong strode up to the sphere until her face was inches from it. Her long, straight horn hovered on the brink of touching. "Come. Place your horn upon the sphere. Let us begin."

Luna nodded and joined the ghostly mother at her side. "I am the only one who can do this," she noted.

"Very true," agreed Dalesong, turning slightly to regard the smaller form. "However, I wish to see for myself if your devotion is to my son, or to Oblivion. Do you love him? The two of you have had the full phase of the moon to learn from each other."

Luna smiled at the dead changeling. "Chrysalis asked me the same question, when I still knew nothing of him. I'll admit then I had an interest in knowing more of him, thinking perhaps it was but an enamored fascination with his mixed blood. He is headstrong, stubborn, kind, caring, and wiser than I think others give him credit for. I cannot lie to his mother when she poses such a question."

Dalesong chuckled dryly. "A political answer does not please me."

"I think I do love him," she admitted. "It is far too early to say for sure, but I feel I want to make him mine. He is my Intended."

"I pray the two of you find happiness." Dalesong indicated the sphere. "Do what needs be done so those old ones can begin the mending. I am eager to see my son again, but not until after he has had a full life filled with love and children!"

Luna blushed.

_Noooooo! I forbid this! _The vast roar echoed throughout the dream, shaking the very foundations of the Dreamscape. It reverberated among the clouds, churning them into swirling madness. Heavy bolts of lightning streaked across the sky, arching between thunderheads in impossibly huge and long stretching fingers of crooked electricity. _I should be the one! _The thing's presence was out there in the Dreamscape somewhere.

"Oblivion," snarled Dalesong. "I suspected he would interfere. Do what you need to do, open the sphere. I shall deal with this thing." She flared her ghostly dark wings, spinning on a backhoof.

"This is why you came?"

"I have a vested couple of interests in this, Luna of the Moon," remarked the ghost. "Get you to work, girl! I will handle this abomination."

Luna knew she was going to need some time to open the sphere. But how much? She wished Silent Wing was here. Still, she had a duty to perform. Stoically, she closed her eyes and concentrated, pressing the tip of her horn against the sphere. It tried to resist the touch, sending tendrils of pain through the length of the horn and into her skull. Luna winced and hissed at the sudden pain. Of course it would resist. All around her the world bucked and heaved as Oblivion rose from where ever he was lurking, the Alicorn's ears swiveling this way and that to locate him.

He was everywhere, it seemed.

_She is mine, Dalesong! He is mine! I will not be denied the purpose for which I was created!_ He screamed, an echo in her mind threatening to bring the Alicorn to her knees. Oh, she knew this touch all too well as it bore down upon her, threatening to swallow her mind again, as he had done a thousand years ago. Luna almost broke away from the sphere, but felt a gentle presence hold her still.

"You cannot take this child again, thing!" cried the ghost with growing rage. "My son was never meant for you! The mare you corrupted is not your pawn any longer. Face me, creature of the most foul creations! Face the mother of the child you sought to enslave!" Her voice rang as loudly as the pealing of a great bell, sending shockwaves right back at the monstrous presence of Oblivion.

It struck Luna as odd a ghost would have a voice in the Dreamscape, yet the very thing that had possessed her for so many centuries would not speak with a mouth. Dreams were indeed a strange place where even the unexpected surprised the Alicorn. This was her domain, yet there was still so much about it she was still learning beyond what was to be expected. She had certainly never expected to meet a ghost in another's dream, nor did she expect a battle to erupt between that ghost and a living weapon.

"Hi," said a little voice from within the sphere.

Luna opened her eyes and saw a little dirty yellow colt with a fiery red mane looking at her in curious wonder. His stubby little wings flared out as he rose up on his hind legs to get a closer look at her. She smiled. "Hello, little one."

"Are you trying to make things better?" he asked hopefully, his golden eyes brimming with life and joy. Luna noticed the innocence and felt her heart skip a beat.

"I am," she reassured him with a cooing voice. Meanwhile, a battle raged, one she could not see but felt vaguely as she was lost within the confines of the sphere, having been drawn in. "Do you want to be better?" she asked him.

"Yes!" he chirped. "I want to play with you, Luna! I've waited so long for you! Momma told me your name when I was born and said I would have to be good to have a friend like you. She says we're so alike and I should trust you when she's not around. Please let me out, Luna. I've been good. Honest!" His changeling hoof pressed against the opposing side of the sphere.

_Do not release him, foolish Alicorn! You will never become great unless you take me once again within you! Don't you want the night to last forever? Don't you want your subjects to fawn over you? Don't you desire to have power over all things, to rule absolutely, with no fear from your enemies? Do you not wish to be beyond your feeble power? _Oblivion cried out, raged, pleaded, and promised. Despite the unseen battle, he still sought to prevent the breaking of the sphere.

Little Silent Wing flattened his ears against his skull, looking behind Luna. "I don't like him. He's selfish and just wants things for himself. He's as bad as daddy!" His fearful gaze shifted as he sought her eyes, leaning again towards her, pleading, "Please don't let him take me away. He makes me do things to hurt others. I can hear them yell at me in awful voices even though they're not alive anymore. I don't want to hurt anymore ponies!" He began to bawl, tapping and brushing his hoof against the curved wall in front of him.

"Shh!" Luna felt her magic begin to have an effect on the sphere. It cracked. "Just be patient a little while longer and I promise we'll be together," she assured him. "Don't look at what's going on behind me. Keep looking at me, little one."

There was a thunderous boom, rolling everywhere and washing over the Alicorn's body. A shriek followed, angry and vengeful. Dalesong was silent, standing firm in her defense as Oblivion hurled himself again and again against her. He lashed out against her invisible barriers, the wall of death which she represented. The ghost did not flinch against his assaults and always seemed to know exactly where he would strike next. She was a mother still, even in death and fought to protect her only son.

"I will unmake myself if it means keeping you from succeeding," she hissed with life very much uncharacteristic for and obviously death being. "I have turned you away three times before you could fully manifest yourself, Oblivion. My son will have a normal life. He is not a plaything for either you or that bastard which created you!"

_You're dead. You cannot stop me. Luna is mine. Your son is mine. I shall overcome the Master and rule this world as it was meant to be ruled; lifeless!_

He assaulted Dalesong directly, this time. The clouds formed behind his emerging dark form, coming at last to view. Black wings buffeted through the swirling storm, highlighted by lightning. The ghost quivered, flinching as he struck. The ghostly fur and skin was being torn away, shredding her incorporeal form. She took a step back, then another. Her body wavered. It was not by magic or physical force with which he struck, but through his sheer presence. Oblivion displayed his full power in the Dreamscape and the sensation alone forced the dead changeling back step by step. The exposed flesh gave way to pale bone, exposing the ghost to nothing more than a skeleton bearing tattered remnants of her flesh and skin. She grit her teeth, hissing in fury, remembering the pain she could no longer feel. Her reactions were a mirror to what she once felt in life, her memories and reactions not born of sensation, but of what was once but could never be again. The beautiful image of the dragon before was contorted with rage and effort, hurling his will against hers in what was in effect a staring contest. Fury met with cold calm as the two opponents locked. Dalesong once again found her footing and held firm, already sensing another assault forming behind Oblivion.

"Not. One. Step. More," she swore, focusing her eye sockets at her enemy, her eyes now nothing more than a pair of burning blue flames raging like a pair of infernos.

_You cannot stop me. There are no Elements of Harmony to aid you. The master already has begun turning one against. Perhaps..._

The voice trailed off into the storm, fading away like rolling thunder.

Dalesong felt his will relent, as if pausing in contemplation.

_There are others who would welcome my gift._

The sphere cracked further, a bit falling away to the earth like a shard of glass. Air began to rush into it.

"You're doing it!" Little Silent Wing hopped up and down excitedly, the rushing wind blowing his mane and tail about his little body wildly.

Dalesong was confused. "What trickery is this?" she demanded, spreading her legs in a wide stance as the dragon pulled away from her.

Oblivion smirked. _Oh, I have been such a fool to not notice this. The Sun falters into despair. A mindless puppet is on the brink of madness. If these two are not willing, then perhaps I should expand my horizons a bit. Have your victory. Bring forth the magic within Silent Wing. I shall savor it still, grow stronger, and use it to break the Master at long last! By then, I shall have two more to face against the failed master!_

Dalesong suddenly felt nothing as Oblivion abruptly departed. Just then, she could feel Luna's magic break through the sphere completely, shattering it wide open. The clouds began to surge towards her_ en masse_, lightning crackling wildly as thunderheads slammed into each other. Despite the movement of air, her form remained calm in its demeanor. Even in the Dreamscape, her form was in between life and death. With the draw of the clouds to the now open sphere, Luna appeared next to her, following the sudden look skyward of the dead changeling. Yet she was now nothing more than a tattered remnant of the ghost that had once been beautiful even in undeath. Now she was a nightmarish monster in appearance; a skeletal pony barely holding a solid form.

"Momma?" asked a tiny voice at her hooves.

Dalesong looked down. If she still had a heart, it would have stopped beating. "Hello," she greeted the dream manifested colt before her.

"Are you coming home soon?" he asked. "Atalanta still isn't home. I'm gonna get her and bring her to you so you don't cry anymore."

"I'm not -" the ghost paused, sadness overcoming her as she realized he thought she was Chrysalis.

He shook his head violently. "Nuh-uh, you're just as much her mommy as momma is 'cause you're here for me."

"Can you read my thoughts?" she asked him curiously, her voice still dead. There was still emotion even though she was a ghost.

"No. Don't hafta. You been watchin' a long time, haven't you?" He grinned, sitting on his rump and looking up at her. "I still remember when you held me, momma. He doesn't remember, my other self, but I do and I'll make sure he remembers when he wakes up! I promise."

Luna felt tears welling up as she watched this bittersweet exchange.

His smile faded as he seemed to come to the same conclusion. "I miss you, momma. I miss you bad. But my new momma is okay. I love her and she loves me. Is that okay if I have another momma? She's grouchy when she's in a bad mood, but she's almost as pretty as you!"

Dalesong shook her head, perhaps amused at being told she was pretty in her current state. "No, you need her. I don't mind. I even gave her something so she won't fall under your father's eye."

He suddenly beamed and cried, "You're the best momma a colt could ever have!"

The ghost turned to Luna. "I must go. There is still one more thing you and Silent must do before you can go after Oblivion and Flamespyre. You'll need to stop both."

"I heard. Which one is most important to deal with first?"

"I would advise rescuing the other Elements. Head for Kahsoon, the capital of the Topaz Kingdom. Go alone or gather allies I care not, but go quickly. I know not what is in store for this world, but time is running short. Flamespyre is as close to dominating this world as he has ever been."

"What of you?" Luna asked. "Are you to find rest at last?"

"I cannot say." Dalesong looked down upon the small form of Silent Wing, his awakened part after so many thousands of years of slumber. "He is still not whole, but he is nearly there. I should like to speak to him in his dreams, so he may know me. I have been given permission to do this. Perhaps I can linger a bit longer, make sure I can do what I can."

Luna nodded and prepared to leave the dream.

"One more thing," Dalesong offered, making the Alicorn pause.

"Yes?" she asked curiously.

"If you love my son, then learn to love yourself and accept what you are."

"And what am I?"

Dalesong offered a mysterious smile and faded from the dream even as the first rays of the morning sun suddenly appeared, washing over the dark princess like a wam blanket.

_...you are what you have always been..._


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

**Changelings and Ponies**

Prophet watched the flames, the events of Silent's dream unseen. The massive gray Alicorn took a pull from a bottle of wine, levitating it to his chest as he snorted. He was laying on his belly, facing his fireplace. To his right, curled up in a blanket and sleeping on his plush chair was the Crown Princess Atalanta.

The ancient creature watched the two shaman utter their chants while Luna was in a trance. Not doubt, he figured she was dwelling within his dreams and opening a door sealed long ago by his very own father. The endless flames within the hearth crackled and blazed in time with the chants, rising and falling as the image displayed the powers of earth and water encompassing the body of the prince as it was held aloft by the spirits of the elements. Silent Wing dangled, as if something held him by the scruff of the neck, but he was not harmed. The smoke from the incense wrapped around his legs, starting at the tips of his hooves and snaking their way upwards until they encountered his body. They split apart, the smoke encircling the barrel of his body and half unfurling his wings.

He knew - had known - Dalesong. Feeling her presence through his scrying magic had brought an old pain to bear. The bottle appeared shortly after feeling her faded aura. Even in death, she exuded peace and love, a gentleness gifted from her own mother so very long ago.

There was suddenly an audible click in the back of his head and Silent Wing lurched in the air. Prophet blinked, tilting his great head to one side. A humorless smile broke through his monotone expression, his swirling eyes speeding up in a flicker of excitement. Something within the prince had just been unlocked. Prophet concentrated on the colt so he might discern exactly what. He already knew, his farsight most often a curse in his eyes than a boon, but to actually see it happen was far more remarkable than knowing in his mind. Still, nothing remarkable had changed, saved for the reintroduction of ancient memories of a past age.

Silent Wing gasped, his eyes shooting wide open, blazing with golden light. His form quivered, but not from pain. Neither was there joy. It was as though his awakened part was taking in its own first breath in thousands of years. Old memories were now flooding the young princes' mind - though Prophet smirked at the thought of 'young' being applied to the colt.

"This is why test tube dragons can't have nice things," smirked Prophet to the sleeping princess. She mumbled something and rolled over, snuggling deeper into her blanket. His smile faded, becoming soft for a moment. He took another drink from the bottle and sighed.

He had seen many different futures, the many different threads branching off from the slightest of decisions, the kicking of a pebble, the ripple on the surface of a pond. This was his gift; to see the possible futures, even if he did not want to. Prophet tried to remain in a state of constant drunkenness to dull the visions. For the most part, it worked. However, there were days he would be drunk and still unable to unsee the terrible futures before him.

Never could he get used to the bleak possibilities.

"Did you know you and the prince are actually related?" he asked Atalanta quietly. Of course, he didn't want to wake her. She was simply too adorable sleeping where she was, her little gossamer wings rising and falling with her breathing form. "Sort of a great-great-great-great-great-great grand-uncle. I'm sure I may have missed a few 'greats' in there."

"Talking to the filly again?" asked a familiar voice behind him.

"Discord, you left me to foalsit again," grunted Prophet, shifting again to the fire. His face reflected the orange glow, the flames dancing in his eyes. "I hate children."

"You two are related," answered the draconequus as he emerged from the shadows and over the Atalanta's sleeping form. "You should spend more time with family. Besides, you're too drunk to hate children." He rested his paw and claws on top of the back rest, peering down at the princess. "Cute kid," he remarked.

"Well, you went to Canterlot, didn't you?"

Discord made a face. "As much as I enjoy a chaotic battle, I really wish Daddy dearest would put some consideration into certain things."

Prophet arched a brow. "Such as?"

"Everything. I mean, I love chaos. I embody chaos. I AM chaos! But I like fun chaos, not destructive chaos. I've never deliberately killed anypony. Well, maybe a few times." He paused, pondered, then shrugged indifferently. "Doesn't matter. The point is, after a thousand years, I do regret my actions. I may not agree with Sunbutt... there are days I absolutely loathe her self-righteous hypocrisy."

"Don't wake the filly," reminded Prophet with a grunt. "She's done nothing but ask me questions all day and I for one am glad to not deal with the pestering. What did you do to Rose? Isn't she supposed to be watching her?"

"Visiting her mother," shrugged Discord nonchalantly. "I really think she wanted to get away from me. Something about me being too dazzling and handsome to contain herself. Of course, constantly turning her needlework into living snakes might have had something to do with it. I'm not sure. Her foal seemed to enjoy it."

"I'm sure. You've become quite taken with Ata." Prophet grinned at the draconequus.

"She's adorable," countered Discord. "I can't believe Tappis and Tappaz want to keep playing manipulative mommies with her. Their condition can be easily fixed if they would take a moment to stop blaming the world for their infertility. Oh, by the way, my half brother finally has his memories. He's _really_ going to hate his family now." A wicked gleam emerged in his eyes. "Should be fun!" he added, thinking of the bedlam to ensue.

"You just included yourself," Prophet pointed out delicately with a grin.

"Oh, minor details. He's never met me, so I'm not too worried about it."

"I know," commented Prophet. Pointedly, almost rudely he leveled a hoof at Atalanta. "Are you here to pick her up and take her home? Those two queens have something they need to do or else all this hell unfolding in my flames won't mean squat."

"Ah, the climax is coming, I know." Discord gently scooped her up, feeling very much like a goofy, loving uncle. "At least she likes my chocolate rain."

"Make it rain bourbon and I'll be your friend for life."

"But I hate you."

"I know. The feeling's mutual, if that makes you feel better."

Discord stuck his tongue at Prophet. "One of these days we're going to have to finish that argument."

"If you say so. Now get out of here and let me go back to my bottle. I'm busy."

Discord glared at him, shrugged, and with Atalanta tucked in the crook of his lion's arm, snapped his fingers with the other and disappeared.

Prophet was alone. Within a few days there would be very special prisoners in the vaults above him. This would mean entertaining more guests. He hated the bother, but it was necessary. Besides, he had always wanted to see them, curse his curiosity! The shadow was going to seek out their friend, Twilight Sparkle and make a try for her. He had seen it, saw what she might become, another Nightmare. Was the world ready for it? There was a lurking danger of what had just ended on the other side of the world paling in comparison to the power threatening to engulf powerful beings.

His horn glowed, focusing on the flames of his eternal fire.

Twilight Sparkle appeared in the flames, her mind still locked down by the will of Flamespyre. No, Prophet rolled his eyes at himself, this was not magic at work. She still had her son Star Journey with her and he was busy with his nose in a book as she looked on dreamily. They lay within the pretty garden prison Flamespyre had ordered constructed, large enough for the mare and her child to exercise, but completely cut off from the outside world. A dozen changeling guards were constantly in the chamber this prison had been built within, watching the Alicorn and caring for her. A doctor and a team of nurses constantly came in and out of the room, taking notes and readings, administering the dosages of both mother and son in their food, to keep them sedate and agreeable. Then there was the giant changeling who constantly stared at her as if she held a secret just for him to discover. There was something else, of course, the so-called Oblivion effect to prevent either mare or colt from using their magic.

Why was Flamespyre terrified of Twilight Sparkle? Of course, Prophet knew why, but the prospect of her bearing the dragon's future children had been some of the more disturbing images the ancient Alicorn had ever seen. Of course, being the Bearer of Magic - the one thing Flamespyre hated above all else - might have been the primary reason. He wanted to control her, needed to control her. To dominate her magic and take it for himself, to take all magic for himself and give it to those fanatically loyal to him was only part of his scheme.

But to sire new monsters through her?

Even Prophet shuddered at the idea of more chimeras crawling over the planet more powerful than a dragon.

Speaking of dragons, they had remained quiet during the whole, short war. It was dying out, the last few battles just looming on the horizon. There were few places left for those still willing to fight to go. They had not been idle and the Dragonking's forces made a point to skirt around the borders of dragon territory. There had been some sort of uneasy truce between Flamespyre and the dragon leaders. It surely would not hold. Once the lesser races had fallen, it would be but a matter of time before the final great clashes of a war renewed would begin. Flamespyre had warred upon the dragons in the past, faring well, but never able to fully bring the great brutes to heel. Though true dragons could not cast magic, they were still highly resistant and could even give the great Blood Assault pause before committing to battle with one.

The Dragonking's brood were only partially dragons; they were all chimeras. They were deadly combatants, but even a few hundred angry dragons bent upon destruction would press the children and their forces sorely. The battle would be even, with no obvious victor.

Flamespyre sought an edge through accruing all the magic in the world so he could have a definitive advantage. In the meantime, for the sake of destruction and mayhem, he would undoubtedly unleash his changelings and their allies upon the dragons, if only to work as an amusing distraction. Prophet knew this and knew the monster's tendencies well. Flamespyre hid his weaknesses by hurling others into his battles, preferring to take a seat in the back and let others do his work.

"Living in a shattered world sucks," commented Prophet with a resigned sigh. This wasn't the first time he had seen madness destroy everything, leaving nothing but pain and misery in its wake. He assumed it would not be the last time. The ancient creature pulled a large tome from nothing and a quill and ink. Through his bleary eyes, he held it open before him, pen at the ready as he gathered his thoughts. History needed to be written and this was his sole purpose in life. Despite his state of inebriation, the Alicorn's script was flowing and very neat, thousands of years and millions of pages having refined his writing skill to a masterful art. Prophet was the finest writer in the world and had been so since even the days of Starswirl the Bearded.

He chuckled at the memory, remembering the pony before he had gotten his beard.

As he wrote, several other volumes akin to the one before him appeared, each one with its own quill and ink. Soon the sounds of scribbling filled the cozy room as Prophet wrote, anotating the history as it unfolded before his mind. He could see it all; from big things to little things. His responsibility to provide the world with the actions and words of its inhabitants for posterity was taken seriously.

Writing of the rise and falls of kingdoms and empires was all well and good, but the remarkable truth in Prophet's words was the neutrality with which he wrote. No one creature could control what he wrote or how he wrote it. To maintain his neutrality in all things, the Alicorn had long ago concluded he had to be away from the influence of others save for a select few.

The Topaz Queens happened to fall in that select group. Not because they were overtly special or had some grand destiny before them, but because Prophet did often become lonely in his chosen way of life. He was actually fond of children of all races and was glad to have met the likes of Atalanta and Star Journey most recently, but the oddity of the twin queens endeared themselves to him, despite their twisted nature. To him, they were fillies with whom he had imparted some of his wisdom, hoping they would overcome the path they followed and choose a different one. To his chagrin, the harder he tried to lead them, the further down the path he hoped they would not follow they did indeed go.

He could not alter the paths once they had been chosen. Blood Assault had molded them, prepared them once he realized his father would soon walk the earth again. For sure, they had their own dose of insanity, mostly due to their particular breeding. Every now and again, symbiote changelings were born, each unable to live without the other. This was even rarer in queens. So far as any history book noted in any of the changeling kingdoms, this was only the second case ever. There was potential in the queens. They had been tasked with protecting the daughter of Chrysalis and the son of Twilight Sparkle. Their ordeal had just begun. Their opponent would be the most unexpected and shocking.

Prophet sighed, feeling a headache come on. Another swig of the bottle did nothing to chase it away. He knew he wasn't doing himself any favors by drowning in alcohol, but being immortal tended to dissolve health issues. His body could heal whatever punishment he threw at his liver, allowing him to drink to his heart's content without worry of permanent damage.

Ten thousand years of practice couldn't be wrong.

Still, living this long without significant powers was an odd combination. Prophet was essentially a glorified historian who could see snatches of possible futures. He made few acquaintances and ever fewer friends because he knew they would eventually fade away and die. On top of that, denying Flamespyre leverage over him was important. The twisted monster used to come to him and demand to know what the future held for him, but the Alicorn resisted. Flamespyre had beaten him, battered him, left him a bloody pulp more times than he would like to remember, but the Alicorn told him nothing. Eventually, long ago, the dragon had left him alone, leaving the old pony to keep the history of the world.

Where he kept the books was anyone's guess. All the world's history could be found here, but nothing in regards to magic unless it was tied to the past in some way. There were no spell books, save for a few for the Alicorn's personal use. Despite his vast age and knowledge, Prophet was actually a poor magician when compared to the skills of fellow Alicorn like Twilight Sparkle. Why, even Princess Mi Amore Cadenza was stronger with her magic. This did not bother him as the possession of great power seemed bothersome and not worth the trouble. Ponies and changelings and other creatures tended to come to powerful figures to either ask for something or try to challenge that power.

"Now this game of life on the road to death shifts, some things set in place while others dangle over the void of uncertainty," murmured Prophet as he closed his massive book. He had waited until the ink was dry before lovingly running a hoof over the cover. His only true love anymore was his writing, the world's history. "The Elements of Harmony are going to come into play, for good or for ill, to heal or damage. I will not look to see. They have been silent to this point, onlookers of the great drama and merely going along for the ride."

He spoke often to himself, having gotten used to it. The silence bothered him, despite his desire for seclusion and separation from the world. The smirk on his face reflected the irony.

"Those fleeing Equestria will go to the one place they feel is safe." Prophet flicked his horn and the books disappeared in a wink of magic, quill and ink following. He mulled through his mind thoughts, then came to a quick decision, setting his lips unhappily as he was about to engage in the art of socializing with a complete stranger. "Breaking my own rule," he complained to himself as he adjusted his legs under him.

The fire flickered as he focused upon it, his horn aglow with magic. The image before him was that of a bed. Within that bed were a pair of ponies cuddled up to each other. Prophet held his gaze for a moment as he struggled as to how he should wake up his target. Shrugging and rolling his eyes, he sighed at himself and his hesitation. "Wake up!" he snapped irritably.

The first pony bolted upright. Prophet could see it was a white stallion with a blue mane. He was clearly a Unicorn. "Who's there?" he called out loudly.

His partner was right behind him, blinking blearily at the sudden intrusion. She was a pretty pink mare, with a lovely mess of bedhead. "Shining, what is it? I thought I heard -"

Prophet interrupted her mumbling politely, "You. Back to sleep." Shining Armor blinked, yawned, and flopped back to slumberland, snoring peacefully. "Princess Mi Amore Cadenza, my name is Prophet. I am a long time watcher, first time caller. We need to talk."

* * *

Twilight Sparkle appeared content, unaware from within her prison a pair of bright solid blue eyes regarded her with wary curiosity. She watched Star Journey bound after an illusionary butterfly, her mind not registering it was a false creation, her magic suppressed within the confines of her cell. Her movements were mechanical, controlled, set for her to just be happy and relaxed, her thoughts set to believe this was and always had been her world. The ordeal under the tender ministrations of Flamespyre had left her mind weakened and on the brink of the collapse he did not want. She lay in delightful repose upon a thick bed of green grass as an artificial breeze sent the smells of a late spring day to her senses, leaving her in a state of bliss. In her little false world created by another, all there was for her lay in the form of her equally controlled son. Both were in a stupor of joy and simplicity designed specifically to maintain peaceful compliance.

The former Captain Myzanum was uneasy. There was something unsettling in viewing this from the outside of the cell. He could see in, but Twilight Sparkle and her child could not see without. Placed in charge of her well-being, he could not help but wonder how proficient she was said to be and how easily the Dragonking had broken her. Seeing her somehow made him think of his former queen.

It was a bitter thought, filled with regret.

Dressed in the steel armor of a Topaz officer, the garb was more like overlapping plates of armor, polished to a sheen. Beneath it was thin red padding with dangling straps ending with bronze buttons in a splayed pattern around the openings for his shoulders. His shins and forelegs were armored in the same polished steel, held in place with thin leather straps. The giant warrior knew Chrysalis would soon be in the grip of the Dragonking. Flamespyre had toyed openly to the big changeling the idea of giving her over to him, wiping her mind clean and leaving her an adoring mate.

It was a cruel joke. Myzanum saw it as such and politely declined the offer. No, that bridge had been burned the moment he plunged his spear into her chest.

Tappis and Tappaz materialized behind him in a great puff of smoke rather suddenly, the loud crackle of magic making the big warrior whirl around in alarm. Seeing a pair of battered queens leaning upon each other heavily, he immediately barked out orders to get them assistance. Guards snapped to and disappeared down corridors to fetch help while Twilight's doctor zoomed over from his station, his crooked horn already charging with healing magic for the queens.

Once they saw they were safely within their castle, the Topaz Queens stood tall and proud, allowing the doctor to apply his trade upon them, cowed into silence by the withering stare they both levelled upon him when he started asking questions.

"Attend Our needs in silence," they spoke harshly to him before shifting to Myzanum. "Your former queen is a formidable opponent."

The giant nodded in acknowledgement. "You survived," he remarked with surprise.

"Stay your tongue, Emerald traitor," snapped Tappis as she winced in pain. The doctor was probing one of her wounds. To him, she snarled, "Take care, fool! Your touch brings pain upon Us!"

"Apologies!" he stammered, shifting his energies to being careful. Fear creased his features as he had never seen either of his queens in this condition before.

"We require love," growled Tappaz, casting her eyes hungrily about. They found and settled upon Star Journey. She licked her lips. Tappis felt her thoughts and was soon staring at the colt. "No, the children are forbidded to us," both said as they shuddered from Chrysalis' reaction to her daughter's essence within them.

Myzanum was stoic, remaining silent for the moment. His presence was ignored.

"Wraith! Our Wraith is no more!" they wailed, leaning into each other. "Our governess is passed beyond, failed in her duties!"

"What news from Canterlot?" he asked carefully.

Dull golden eyes gleamed at him hungrily. "Taken!" they crowed, their lamenting a memory until they chose to remember it again. "Equestria is in the claws of the Master! The Dragonking rules supreme! The fallen queen is his prisoner. Celestia will meet her death at the next eclipse. Dragonking Flamespyre has commanded it."

"Then it is finished?"

"Not quite," replied another voice, more calm and serene. It was also not disjointed. Myzanum turned his head slightly to his right to catch the pale Unicorn form of Draccaria walk silkily into his field of vision. "There are a few loose ends here and there. The last of Equestria's defenders will be brought under heel. One last Alicorn remains against us." She bore concern for her friends, the two queens.

"Dear sister," they greeted her with relief. "Did you see what the Emerald Queen did to us? Our wounds grieve us so!"

She came before Tappis and Tappaz, giving each queen a quick embrace and a smile. "Oh, my dears," Draccaria exclaimed, stepping back to take in their hurts with her golden eyes, "Father was correct to tell you not to feed upon Princess Atalanta."

Myzanum lurched out of his staring with sudden and sputtering outrage, "What?!" Despite his feelings towards Chrysalis, he was very fond of the little princess. Hearing of changeling feeding off the love of another changeling was akin to cannibalism; hearing one royal household feeding upon the offspring of another royal was cause for war. Bristling with indignation, he strode forward, demanding answers, "Explain yourselves!"

Draccaria sighed and held him firm with her magic, her horn having flared to life. "Calm yourself, my dear Myzanum. You're on our side, now. Royal matters of state will remain that. Common soldiers such as yourself simply do as you are commanded and obey without hesitation." Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "Or must I remind you of the treason you already committed in pledging yourself to me?"

He growled, shivering with rage before letting it go forcibly, snorting loudly as his shoulders slumped. "My apologies."

She smiled beautifically at him. "Accepted. Now be a dear and fetch love for the queens. Their magic is exhausted and must be replenished!"

Humiliated to the point of being reduced to a simple servant, the giant stiffened at the thinly veiled rebuke, but bowed to Draccaria. "By your leave," he intoned, then started to go about his appointed task.

"Captain," Draccaria asked him expectantly, "aren't you forgetting something?"

He paused in mid step, turning to face her. "Madame?" His wings betrayed his irritation, buzzing slightly.

"Respect your queens," she said with a sweet smile, her voice dripping with poisoned honey. Her tail flicked at him.

Oh, how she loved to drive the dagger home and twist it!

"Majesties," he rumbled to the Topaz Queens, bowing lower to them then he had at Draccaria, "with your permission."

He was dismissed with unfriendly smiles and curt nods, Draccaria staring after him with dark humor. "Leave us!" she announced to the room imperiously, tracking her thoughts to her beloved queens.

Quietly the changelings departed, some on hooves, others taking flight with their gossamer wings. Once the room was clear, the dragon-turned-Unicorn spun around slowly and went before the illusion-filled prison and gazed within. As she did so, Discord appeared in a bright flash of white light, having placed Atalanta in her room. Placing his paw and claw behind his back, he interlocked them and padded slowly forward, ignoring the sullen glares of the Topaz Queens as he brought himself alongside his half sister.

"Can you feel it?" he asked her suddenly, his voice giddy with excitement.

She sighed at him. "Feel what?"

"Oh, come now. Don't tell me you can't feel it!" he insisted, assuming profound disappointment with Draccaria. "Impending chaos! It's coming in a storm the likes of which makes me want to make the biggest tub of popcorn the world has ever seen!" He threw his right lion arm over her shoulders and hauled her into a gleeful hug, spreading his eagle arm out at Twilight Sparkle. "And she's going to be a big, big, big player in everything!"

"She's practically a vegetable until Father decides to do something to her," snapped Draccaria, throwing off Discord's arm with disgust. "What could you possibly expect Twilight to do?"

"You don't know her mind," he answered, assuming a wounded expression. "We don't hug enough, you know that?"

"Oh, she's got this side of her I'm sure you'll find most amusing."

She gave him a flinty look. "What are you getting at, Disco?" Draccaria used the nickname he hated.

"I've already said more than I should," he harrumphed, crossing his arms over his slender chest. Jutting his lower jaw forward, he returned her stare with literally a puppy dog face. "Let's just say daddy done finally jabbed the hornet's nest with the stick one time too many!"

"There's nothing left for our father to fear," insisted Draccaria half-heartedly, sensing Discord knew something she didn't. Her voice trailed away as she speculated over his words while giving him another hard stare. "What are you hiding, Discord?" she demanded.

He shivered at her voice. "Oh, you sound like Tia!" Swinging his head around, he grinned at the Topaz Queens. "You two. Get cleaned up. You look like you had your flanks handed to you by a raging mother."

They stared blankly at him.

"Oh, wait. You did!" he hooted with laughter. "So tell me, how's her left hook?" Discord suddenly was dressed in a trenchcoat and wearing a battered fedora with a card neatly set in the side of the dark hat band with the bold capital letters spelling the word 'PRESS'. In one paw he held a notebook, in the claw, a pencil. "What round did you go down? How did the judges score it? Was it a TKO or a full on knockout? Were the ring girls pretty? What got you? The Rope-the-Dopes? Did Chrysalis float like a butterfly and sting like a bee?" He scribbled frantically on his notepad, his tongue dangling out from the corner of his mouth in concentration as he nodded at the lack of answers as if he was getting his answers, intense in getting a great scoop.

They gaped at him, completely unnerved by his antics.

Draccaria rolled her eyes and facehoofed. "Father interfered before anything permanent could happen," she told him, her hooves carrying her over to interpose herself squarely between Discord and the Queens. With a flare of her magic, she tore her half-brother's notes from his grasp as well as the pencil, sending them flying across the room.

"Hey! That was front page news!" he protested, tilting his hat forward with a harrumph. An imploring claw followed the trajectory of his precious notes before falling lifelessly to his side. "Well, I guess it's back to the pink cloud business for me."

"Can't you be serious for one moment?" Draccaria demanded of him.

"No."

She flared. "You're impossible!"

"And you're easy!" he shot back with a triumphant grin.

Behind them, Twilight Sparkle played with her son Star Journey in what appeared to be a game of charades.

Draccaria forced herself to calm down, remembering just now how infuriating Discord could be. "I can't believe you managed to hold the world in your grasp for twenty years," she muttered, turning away from him and flinging a dismissive hoof at him.

"Life is to be savored, my dear sister," he shrugged philosophically, his voice full of wisdom and ending with a wheezing sort of chortle. To the Topaz Queens, he levelled a claw at them, becoming quite serious as he drew himself up to his considerable height. Towering over them, he declared, "You two have a task of watching over two children. Come now, girls. Surely you can manage a pair of children as easily as you manage your considerable kingdom! Did Prophet not bestow upon you the doom that will decide your life or death? Was not your encounter with the Emerald Queen not enough proof the path before you is narrow indeed?"

Tappis and Tappaz nodded meekly, violently flinching before his presence.

Draccaria was unimpressed, glaring at him. Just then, Myzanum returned, along with a small army of servants bringing all sorts of things the still injured queens required. As instructed, he carried a covered tray with the sickly green aura of the Emerald changelings as other changelings swarmed over Tappis and Tappaz, clicking and buzzing with fretful worry over the battered condition of their twin monarchs. Draccaria slid a hoofstep or two away, allowing the castle staff to pamper and care for their monarchs.

"Don't," she told Discord, pointing a hoof at him. "Don't even think of it."

"What?" he asked innocently.

"Whatever it is you're planning on doing."

He sighed. "Fine. I won't do what I have no idea what I was planning on doing until you just now brought it up. I'll go throw a few back with Prophet and remind him how much of an ass he is."

"You do that, Disco," she sighed, dismissing him, "and stay out of the way. Father is looking for an excuse to kill you."

"Now you know why I don't hang around you guys. Everything tends to get corpsey around him," Discord sniffed, buffing his claws against his chest. "I'm not going to help him. I'm not going to help Celestia in this. I'm just a partial observer."

"Somehow I have a hard time believing you," she said, shifting her weight on her hooves. "You always want to get involved in one way or another."

"True," he admitted, tugging on his thin white beard. "But I prefer the butterfly effect of Chaos Theory."

Draccaria blinked. "Chaos Theory? What's that?"

"Oh, the idea where a butterfly can flap its wings in Ponyville, creating a sandstorm in Kahsoon. Little, subtle things nowadays. Minimum effort for maximum reward. Anything can be used to create chaos. I've already set my little ball in motion. I've just been sitting back and watching everything unfold." Discord grinned suddenly at his half-sister. "I'm going now. Do watch the girls and try to keep them in line."

He paused, almost ready to snap his fingers as something seemed to cross his mind. Tapping his chin speculatively, his gaze fell upon Twilight Sparkle once again, his eyes rolling upwards towards the ceiling as his lips moved, head bounced as if he mouthed out some calculations in silence. He seemed to disagree with himself at one point and even degenerated to fending off a knife attack from himself upon himself until cooler split personalities prevailed and there was suddenly a small cake served. Draccaria was politely offered a slice. She declined, once again facehoofing.

"One more thing," he mentioned with a mouthful of cake. "Keep an eye on Magic girl. She'll give you nightmares if you don't watch her."

Having said that, Discord grinned toothily, winked and gave a snap of his fingers. With a brilliant white flash, he disappeared, leaving Draccaria to wonder just what he meant. Brushing his thoughts off as the ramblings of a fool, she considered Twilight for a moment before remembering the haunting memory of a protector's last moments just after the queens had teleported. The cry issuing from her brothers and even from her own mouth rose with the writhing and mindless creature, the broken mass hurled into the ice, twitching as his life's blood melted the ice pack.

A mother's wail for an unknown child had carried itself away into the night.

End of Book Two


End file.
